Healthcare workers in Salima District have commended Amref Malawi’s performance management initiative for improving their work and helping them achieve desirable results.

The organisation is implementing a one-year Global Health Workforce Project to strengthen the country’s health workforce and build resilient systems for post-pandemic recovery as well as accelerate progress towards universal health coverage.

Maganga Health Post senior disease control and surveillance assistant Bright Sumaili attributed their improved performance to the project.

He said in an interview on Tuesday: “I have been working for 18 years and we faced many challenges prior to this project. However, I am now skilled at planning and carrying out duties after going through performance management training.

“We set goals, follow up, deal with problems and report outcomes based on the plans. We scrutinise reports with supervisors and identify areas for improvement.”

Sumaili said they previously could just start working without preparation, which made it difficult to address challenges such as cholera outbreaks.

Salima district hospital principal environmental health officer Francis Chipewa said performance management systems have improved efficiency among healthcare workers.

“Our employees have improved on their planning, implementation and reporting of issues,” he said.

However, Chipewa said out of at least 600 disease control and surveillance assistants in the district, less than 200 are trained in performance management.

Amref Malawi country director Hester Mkwinda Nyasulu said the project has strengthened skills and professional confidence among healthcare workers.

“Through performance management systems and digitised continuous professional development, disease control and surveillance, healthcare workers have structured guidance on what is expected of them,” she said.

Amref is running the project with support from UK Department of Health and Social Care through Global Health Partnerships.