LILONGWE-(MaraviPost)-The Forum for National Development (FND) has strongly welcomed and fully supported the Executive Order issued on 16 February 2026 by President Arthur Peter Mutharika, describing it as a bold step toward restoring integrity, discipline and accountability in Malawi’s public health sector.
The statement has been signed by Fryson Chodzi, National Coordinator of the Forum for National Development (FND), who emphasized the organisation’s full backing of the reform measures.
In its statement, FND says the Executive Order is a necessary intervention aimed at correcting long standing structural weaknesses that have negatively affected service delivery in public hospitals and clinics across the country.
According to FND, the decision to prohibit public health employees from owning or operating private health facilities and requiring them to divest within 30 days is a decisive move to eliminate conflicts of interest that have undermined public confidence and compromised patient care.
For years, concerns have persisted that divided loyalties among some health workers contributed to drug shortages, absenteeism and the redirection of patients from public hospitals to privately owned clinics.
The organisation believes the new Order directly confronts this problem and reaffirms that public service must serve the public interest, not private profit.
Equally commendable, FND says, is the strict prohibition against public health personnel soliciting, demanding or receiving bribes from patients.
The practice of extorting money for services that are legally free has, according to the organisation, been one of the most painful injustices within the health system.
FND notes that poor Malawians particularly women, the elderly and those in rural communities have often been denied access to treatment simply because they could not afford unofficial payments.
The Executive Order, it says, sends a strong message that exploitation of vulnerable citizens will no longer be tolerated.
The organisation outlines several potential benefits of the reform, including the protection of the poor from unlawful financial demands and ensuring equal access to free public healthcare services.
It also says the Order will help restore ethical standards, reinforce zero tolerance for corruption in frontline service delivery and rebuild public trust in government hospitals.
Furthermore, FND believes the reforms will strengthen service delivery by ensuring full time commitment from public health workers while reducing corrupt practices that weaken efficiency and accountability.
The organisation adds that the measures will also help preserve public resources such as medicines, equipment and funds from misuse and diversion.
Describing the Executive Order as a demonstration of courageous leadership and deep commitment to social justice, FND says the move reflects a clear understanding that corruption in essential services disproportionately harms the poor and widens inequality.
FND has since urged health professionals, administrators and oversight institutions to embrace the reform in good faith, stressing that implementation must be firm, fair and transparent, supported by strong monitoring systems and improved working conditions.
In conclusion, the organisation maintains that the Executive Order is more than just a regulatory directive “it’s a powerful statement of values affirming that Malawi’s public health system must operate on integrity, fairness and service to the people”.
