The Duke of Sussex rounded off his three-day solo trip to Malawi yesterday by visiting the Mauwa Health Centre in the southern city of Blantyre.
Supported by the Department of International Development in the UK, the Health Centre offers a variety of services to the surrounding community. Available to the patients are a maternity unit, treatment for malaria, and HIV testing, as well as treatment if one tests positive for the disease. It is estimated that the clinic provides medical care to over 23,000 individuals through both mobile and fixed assistance.
Prince Harry arrives at Mauwa Health Centre (Malawi Government)
Mauwa Health Centre, Malawi (Photo courtesy of Malawi Government)
Upon his arrival, Prince Harry was greeted by Jappie Mhango, Minister of Health and given a tour of the facilities. One keen area of interest was the installation of the Pharmacies-In-A-Box programme. Set up by both the US and British governments, the Pharmacies-In-A-Box are prefabricated, air conditioned, solar powered storage units that keep medicines at their correct temperatures, while additionally keeping them secure from theft. Now it is possible to make sure that there is always the proper amount of medications needed on hand.
His Royal Highness saw a Pharmacy-in-a-Box installation to find out how the unit works and its importance to the specific health care challenges of the area. pic.twitter.com/xnZVA7lJH3
— The Royal Family (@RoyalFamily) October 1, 2019
The effect of the programme has been tremendous. With over 350 Pharmacies-In-A-Box readily available throughout the country, the number of thefts and wasted medicines has dramatically decreased. In turn, this has led to an upsurge in staff motivation and an increase in the number of people who are now more willing to seek treatment. It is a comfort for those in this remote community to know that the medicines they require are now always readily available and accessible for them.
The Duke of Sussex shared his thoughts on the drugs used to treat HIV patients: “You need to know your status and know there’s medication, so you can have a happy and healthy life.”
After the tour, the Duke sat down for a private discussion with some of the teenagers at the Centre. While the main topic was to be about how the teens are taking control of their own reproductive health and sexual choices, the subjects of conservation and climate change were touched on as well.
One of the health officials present at the chat shared that the teens asked The Duke of Sussex what kind of challenges did he face growing up. Prince Harry expressed that while he did have challenges, they were not similar as the context was different.
Additionally, Harry told them that they should ‘hold on to their dreams’ and he urged them to’ show kindness, empathy and work together.
The Duke’s first trip to Malawi and Angola in an official capacity proved to be not only an emotional one but also one that was full of hope and promise for all.
Duke of Sussex Makes Solo Visit to Health Clinic in Malawi
Harry visited the health centre and heard about the pharmacy-in-a-box project, where solar powered air conditioning units keep medicines at correct temperatures.#DukeofSussex #RoyalTourAfrica #Malawi pic.twitter.com/YccqAdrZBK— The Royal Family Channel (@RoyalFamilyITNP) October 2, 2019
