At Banja La Mtsogolo today we are filled with excitement. The brand which has been there as a friend of Malawian women and girls from 1987 is today launching new women’s wellness services to be provided by experts in the 25 BLM clinics across the country.
As a forward-thinking organization, Banja La Mtsogolo believes in responding to present times
and context. From 1987, Banja La Mtsogolo has been delighted to compliment the efforts of the
Malawi government in providing quality health care with a focus on family planning to Malawian
women and girls. Looking back, Banja La Mtsogolo feels super proud of the service rendered to
Malawian women with unwavering commitment.
The World Health Organization rightly defines health as a state of complete physical, mental,
and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity. This definition means
health needs to be a continuum of care spanning through different stages of life.
While Malawi continues to make remarkable progress towards women’s health initiatives,
discussions around the changes of a woman’s body throughout life and the health issues that
come with it are often abandoned. Banja La Mtsogolo conducted research with women in
Lilongwe, Blantyre, Zomba and Mzuzu to understand the impact of taboos on accessing
women’s healthcare. Many women are too embarrassed to discuss issues they claimed society
tags as “women issues” with a medical professional.
This is because talking freely about women’s health remains taboo or highly embarrassing in
Malawi. These taboos have been further enshrined in our social norms. Pressure on fertility
leads to a heavy focus on childbearing in women’s health which neglects the wider needs
throughout women’s lives. Think of this- How often are women being supported to deal with
painful or heavy menstruation? When is the last time you heard any public discussion on the
menopause and the symptoms it brings? These are issues that have a profound impact on
women’s quality of life yet are often ignored or trivialized by both the public and health care
professionals.
In launching the new women’s wellness services, Banja La Mtsogolo seeks to change the
approach to women’s health and support women to thrive at every stage of their lives.
It is against that background that Banja La Mtsogolo is pleased to announce the launch of its
new women’s wellness services run by experts in women’s health. The 25 Banja La Mtsogolo
clinics across the country will provide a range of dedicated services that cater for every stage of
a woman’s life, from menstruation to menopause. This launch will be supported by the “For
Every Stage of Woman” Campaign and supported on social media with a campaign to provide
accurate, easy to understand information on women’s health issues under the hashtag
(#IsthisNormal?). We hope you will all participate in this campaign to help create dialogue,
share information, and foster conversations on neglected topics in women’s health.
Finally, Banja La Mtsogolo wishes to thank the Ministry of Health for a warm and cordial working
relationship that has existed between the two entities over 34 years. Banja La Mtsogolo is
always proud to compliment the efforts of the Ministry of Health.
