1. Lilongwe, Malawi
July 5, 2016
UNCLASSIFIED
BRIEFING MEMORANDUM
TO: Ambassador Virginia Palmer
THRU: USAID Mission Director
FROM: USAID HIV/AIDS Team Leader – Rachel Goldstein
SUBJECT: Your participation in the handover of Mimosa Health Centre in
Mulanje District to the Ministry of Health, organized by
implementing partner, Dignitas International and USAID Health
Office.
EVENT: The site launching is a one-day event (July 12, 2016). It will take
place at Mimosa Health Centre in Mulanje District. Local
Government of Malawi (GOM) officials as well as national-level
Ministry of Health (MOH) representatives will participate.
The event will commence at 9:00 with a ribbon cutting and tour of
the facility. You are requested to give remarks between 10:45-
10:55. The program includes remarks by the Dignitas International
Country Director as well as the Secretary for health and the
Minister of Health. (see attached proposed program).
OBJECTIVE/PURPOSE: The objective of this site launching is to highlight the challenge of
public health infrastructure as an obstacle to Malawi’s achievement
of health goals, including the number of people accessing HIV
treatment. The handover of this new clinic constructed through
PEPFAR support will also provide an opportunity to highlight new
PEPFAR resources approved for health infrastructure in Malawi.
BACKGROUND: Mimosa is a small health facility in Mulanje, with a catchment area
population of about 11,800. The existing Mimosa Health Centre
was constructed over 50 years ago as a dispensary to provide basic
outpatient service delivery; currently however, the clinic also
offers HIV testing services (HTS), antiretroviral therapy (ART),

2. antenatal clinic (ANC)/prevention of mother-to-child HIV
transmission (PMTCT)/early-infant diagnosis (EID), and maternal
and child health (MCH) activities (to over 400 pregnant mothers in
a quarter). The staff at Mimosa is limited to one medical assistant,
two nurses, eight health surveillance assistants (HSAs), and three
expert clients. Dignitas International’s new construction of a five
room building at Mimosa will generally improve the delivery and
integration of all HIV/PMTCT/TB, and family planning services
that the health center provides.
PARTICIPANTS: Ambassador Virginia Palmer
Minister of Health
Country Director, Dignitas International
U.S. Mission staff
PUBLIC DIPLOMACY: It is expected that press will be at the event and that the press will
ask to speak to the Ambassador. (See attached Press Points)
SCHEDULE: The schedule for the event is as follows:
Time Event Responsible Person
08:45 Arrival of Invited Delegates
09:00-09:30 Ribbon Cutting and Tour of the Clinic All
09:30 Sitting All
09:30-09:45 Invited Officials sitting
09:45-09:50 Opening Prayer Pastor
09:50-09:55 Welcome by the DHO Dr. Khuliena Kabwere
09:55-10:05 Traditional Dance Magabada group
10:05-10:15 Speech by Traditional Authority T.A. Mabuka
10:15-10:25 Speech by Clinic In Charge Lydia
10:25-10:35 Traditional Dance Magabada group
10:35-10:45 Speech by DI Country Director Dr. Megh Jagriti
10:45-10:55 Speech by US Ambassador Her Excellency Virginia
Palmer
10:55-11:00 Poem/testimony Teen Club Member and

3. Expert Client
11:00-11:10 Speech by MoH Secretary for Health Dr. McPhail Magwira
11:10-11:20 Speech by Minister of Health Dr. Peter Kumpalume
11:35h Closing Prayer Pastor
DATE: November 19, 2016
DOCUMENT NAME: Briefing Memorandum on Mimosa
DRAFTED: Rachel Edwards, HPN
CLEARED:
HIV/HPN: Rachel Goldstein
HPN: Peter Halpert
FO: R. Douglass Arbuckle
ATTACHMENT: PRESS POINTS