Anticipation and response: pandemic influenza in Malawi, 2009

Sambala, Evanson Z.; Manderson, Lenore

Malawi was identified from among the 46 African countries that attended the first Regional Conference on Pandemic Influenza A (H1N1) in 2009, in which the first author took part. Malawi was purposively selected based on its economic status, geographical location, influenza surveillance system and the availability of a national pandemic preparedness plan. These considerations included a number of points of comparison with other countries, as indicated above, including low health expenditure and health system limitations. Malawi was among the first countries in Africa to develop pandemic plans, but their implementation was not known until now. Malawi was also feasible and practical to collect data because it is politically stable and safe, and English is widely spoken, so allowing interviews to be conducted and data analysed without translation assistance. The comparison with other countries and triangulation of information derived from this setting provides the basis for validity.