Runnah Kutsokwe
Sustaining Resilient Long-Term Care for Older People in Malawi: Understanding and Enhancing the Roles of Health Systems, Social Welfare, Civil Society, and Policy Implementation
Healthcare Governance, Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam
Supervisors: Prof.dr. Roland Bal, Dr. Robert Borst
Background
I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health from the University of Livingstonia, Malawi, with a focus on epidemiology and quantitative methods. I worked as an infection prevention coordinator at a central hospital. Later, I pursued a Master’s in Public Health in Sweden, where I developed a passion for qualitative research. My interest in elderly care was inspired by personal experiences growing up in Blantyre, witnessing the challenges my grandparents faced accessing care from rural areas. This led me to pursue a PhD at Erasmus University under the GROW consortium, focusing on elderly care delivery and coordination in Malawi.
Content
As Malawi’s population ages, the demand for elderly care grows. Despite national progress in increasing life expectancy, the country’s health system remains heavily reliant on fragmented donor funding, limiting its ability to sustainably meet the needs of older adults. The elderly, among the poorest groups in Malawi, face challenges accessing both medical and social care due to poverty, food insecurity, and climate-related shocks. Although Malawi adopted the National Policy for Older Persons in 2016, aligned with the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, its practical implementation remains unclear.
This PhD research aims to understand and improve the organization, delivery, and coordination of elderly care in Malawi by various stakeholders. Using a multi-sited ethnographic approach, the study will explore how elderly care is structured and experienced across different levels and settings, including healthcare facilities, community programs, and policy environments. The study addresses critical questions about how elderly care models operate, how stakeholders collaborate (or fail to), and how services are funded and sustained. Particular attention will be paid to the implementation of national and international frameworks, coordination across actors, and the lived experiences of elderly individuals navigating the care system.
By identifying gaps in coordination, service delivery, and funding mechanisms, this research seeks to inform more effective and context-sensitive policy and practice in elderly care. It will contribute to broader debates on donor dependency, sustainability, and the integration of medical and social services for aging populations in low-income countries.
