Active Public Health & Healthcare Mental Health

The Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Research Programme

In plain English

AI plain-English summary

A child born in Malawi today faces a vastly different set of health risks than one born in the UK, and this programme aims to close that gap through a decade of on-the-ground research. The problem is stark: infectious diseases, preventable maternal and child deaths, and fragile health systems that buckle under climate shocks and new pandemics. Much of the existing knowledge on how to prevent these deaths comes from wealthier countries, leaving southern Africa with interventions that may not fit local realities. This programme fills that gap by embedding research directly into Malawian communities and hospitals. If it succeeds, the impact will be concrete. Better pathogen surveillance could stop outbreaks before they spread. Optimised vaccine schedules could save thousands of infants. A health system made resilient to climate shocks would keep clinics running through droughts and floods. A dedicated mental health initiative, tied to maternal and child health, could reshape how care is delivered across the region. The programme also trains the next generation of African research leaders, ensuring the knowledge stays local. The result is not just better health for Malawi, but a model for how to build resilient health systems across the global south.

View original technical description
Our vision is improvement of the health of all in Malawi and southern Africa through transformative research addressing critical global health challenges. Over the next decade, our aims are to: 1\. Pursue excellent research, delivering 1.1. reduced infectious disease burden through enhanced epidemiological and pathogen surveillance, understanding of disease mechanisms, optimising vaccine programmes, and evidence-based interventions underpinned by health data science; 1.2. reduced maternal, neonatal and childhood morbidity and mortality by defining the causes and creating interventions to improve their prevention and management; 1.3. methods for health systems to become resilient to climate shocks and pandemic threats; 1.4. knowledge of how to harness people’s actions and social interactions for optimal health outcomes; 1.5. a mental health initiative to understand the interaction with maternal and child health and climate. 2\. Create an enabling research environment with enhanced platforms and outstanding support. 3\. Provide world-class training to develop African and global health research leaders. 4\. Increase the local, regional and global impact of our research through strategic partnerships. The 2025-2032 core funding underpins this agenda by strengthening our research and training infrastructure, culture, partnerships, public engagement, thereby expanding our impact as an international centre of excellence in interdisciplinary health research and training.

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Researchers

Angela Chimwaza (EPMC Awardee)Brenda Kwambana (EPMC Awardee)David Lalloo (EPMC Awardee)David Lissauer (EPMC Awardee)Henry Mwandumba (EPMC Awardee)Iain Buchan (EPMC Awardee)Janelisa Musaya (EPMC Awardee)Khuzwayo Jere (EPMC Awardee)Kondwani Jambo (EPMC Awardee)Lindiwe Mafuleka (EPMC Awardee)Marc Henrion (EPMC Awardee)Martin Donnelly (EPMC Awardee)Maryse Kok (EPMC Awardee)Matthew Baylis (EPMC Awardee)Melissa Gladstone (EPMC Awardee)Neil French (EPMC Awardee)Rhona Mijumbi-Deve (EPMC Awardee)Stephen Squire (EPMC Awardee)

Related Research

Grants with similar aims, by meaning.

Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust Programme - Core Award
Malawi-Liverpool-Welcome Trust Clinical Research Programme.
Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Programme.
Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome Discovery Research - Research Support Hub
Engaging communities on climate change and health in Malawi

Original classification

Discretionary Award

Plain English summaries and category classifications on this site are generated by AI and may not perfectly reflect the original research.