The LSTM supported programme is based at the University of Malawi College of Medicine and is one of the Wellcome Trust’s major overseas programmes. With additional support from The University of Liverpool, the MLW programme will continue its main focus on the infectious diseases that cause considerable death and disability in Africa
Professor Rob Heyderman, Director of MLW, said: “Renewal of our Wellcome Trust funding will further consolidate MLW’s position as an internationally leading health research institution led by Malawian & international scientists, pursuing scientific excellence and improving the health of people in sub-Saharan Africa living in both urban and rural communities.”
MLW also undertakes the training of local doctors and science graduates in partnership with the University of Malawi College of Medicine, and working closely with the South African Consortium for Research Excellence (SACORE) to strengthen research capacity in sub-Saharan Africa.
MLW researchers will also work closely with the Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit (MEIRU), supported by a Strategic Award to the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, to address the growing burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Malawi and examine the interactions with infectious diseases.
In addition to its clinical research, MLW has an active research initiative in the social sciences led by Dr Nicola Desmond, who recently received a Society and Ethics Research Fellowship from the Wellcome Trust to investigate the social impact of HIV self-testing. Renewed core funding will help integrate social sciences across the programme, to address the complex and dynamic cultural contexts that impact on perceptions of health and treatment seeking behaviour.
Dr Jimmy Whitworth, Head of International Activities at the Wellcome Trust, said: “The Malawi-Liverpool-Wellcome programme has an excellent track record not just for its research, but for investing in the next generation of African researchers. The challenges in this area are many but with continued support from the Wellcome Trust, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine and the University of Liverpool, MLW is building a long-term future for research in the region that will contribute to improvements in the health of Malawians and beyond.”