Communicable disease control programmes in Malawi.

A series of half-day meetings were held between the Malawi National TB Control Programme and the other seven disease control programmes housed in the Community Health Science Unit (CHSU) to look at the structure and function of these programmes. Data were collected into a structured proforma on human resources, sources of international funding, policies and disease control activities, supportive activities, management organization, monitoring and evaluation and operational research. A number of constraints were identified, particularly in the areas of technical supervision, monitoring and evaluation and operational research. Serious consideration should be given to allow CHSU to have a more centralised and unifying role, with the aim of creating a more efficient and better-funded national communicable disease control service.