Malawi Health Insurance for Expats

International Health Insurance for Expats in Malawi

Expats are strongly urged to secure international health insurance to access quality healthcare abroad. From covering medical expenses to providing additional benefits like medical evacuation, a suitable health insurance plan is the key to ensuring peace of mind for yourself and your family.

This guide by Pacific Prime will discuss healthcare in Malawi, as well as the available options for health insurance in the country along with general wellbeing and safety tips for expats.

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The Healthcare System in Malawi

Malawi’s healthcare system consists of the public and private healthcare system, the former of which is also divided into three levels of care. These three levels of care include the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels of care.

General hospitals throughout Malawi aren’t up to par by Western healthcare standards and not only are facilities in rural areas limited but so are emergency services. Meanwhile, private hospitals have higher-quality and better-trained medical staff.

In the following sections, we will be discussing public and private hospitals in Malawi.

Public Hospitals in Malawi

Malawi’s public healthcare system is divided into three levels of care, namely the primary, secondary, and tertiary levels.

The primary level consists of community initiatives like the iCCM, delivered through village clinics by HCAs and SBCC services; the secondary level consists of district hospitals; and the tertiary level encompasses highly specialized services in central hospitals and other specialist hospitals.

Below are some examples of public hospitals available in Malawi:

• Kamuzu Central Hospital: This hospital provides various areas of medical specialties such as pathology, adult medical oncology, palliative care, and more.
• Mzuzu Central Hospital: This hospital was founded back in early 1945 and features around 610 beds, serving nearly 3 million patients from various parts of Malawi and neighboring countries. Services include inpatient, outpatient, and emergency care, as well as many specialized departments.

While public hospitals in Malawi allow access to basic medical care, facilities are considered subpar in comparison to many other countries due to inadequate funding. For instance, hospitals in Malawi lack resources for providing emergency and critical care, including a shortage of medical staff.

Private Hospitals in Malawi

Private hospitals in Malawi make up for the aforementioned limitations of their public counterparts by offering higher-quality facilities and better-trained medical staff. Despite the much higher cost, private hospitals, along with clinics, are generally preferred among expats and local citizens alike.

Expats will be happy to know that private hospitals also allow access to more multilingual medical staff, making it easier for expats to communicate with and understand what the medical staff are saying.

Below are some notable private hospitals available in Malawi:

• Mwaiwathu Private Hospital: Located in the southern region of Malawi, this hospital features numerous areas of medical services such as laboratory, pharmacy, wards, and more.
• Beit-Cure Children’s Hospital: Located in Blantyre, Malawi, this hospital offers a multitude of comprehensive medical services such as various pre-surgery, surgery, and post-surgery services ranging from outpatient consultations to physiotherapy and follow-up appointments.
• Daeyang Luke Hospital: This hospital features cutting-edge medical technology in hopes of providing accurate diagnostics and effective treatment, offers a variety of medical services ranging from general medicine to emergency care, and emphasizes personalized care for maximum patient and wellbeing.

Health Insurance Options for Expats in Malawi

When it comes to health insurance, expats have the option of either using the country’s public health insurance scheme or securing their own private health insurance plan. Below we will discuss each option for expats in Malawi.

Public Health Insurance for Expats in Malawi

Expats can access Malawi’s public health insurance through the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), allowing access to basic healthcare services through public facilities. Depending on the treatment, NHIS will either be completely free of charge or require affordable out-of-pocket expenses.

While public insurance grants expats access to basic medical services at public facilities, it’s worth noting that public hospitals in Malawi offer only limited medical services, and the shortage of medical staff makes it extremely problematic for expats to receive quality treatment.

Due to the limitations of care within the public healthcare sector, expats tend to shy away from securing Malawi’s public health insurance scheme in favor of its private counterpart.

Private Health Insurance for Expats in Malawi

Despite the higher cost, private health insurance is a generally preferred alternative among expats, thanks to greater access to higher-quality medical facilities and the option to add any other benefits on top of default plans.

Below are notable benefits of private health insurance for expats in Malawi:

• Free Selection: Private health insurance allows expats to freely choose any particular hospital they would like to visit, which may include less-crowded hospitals with shorter waiting times, or multilingual staff.
• Access to Shorter Waiting Times: Private health insurance allows expats to choose specific hospitals with shorter waiting times, allowing them to get the treatment they need in a timely manner.
• Multilingual Staff Access: Expats can also choose specific doctors, including multilingual doctors. This simplifies the treatment process considerably as expats can easily understand and communicate with medical staff without any language barrier issues.
• Additional Benefits as Needed: Expats also have the option to add benefits of their choosing on top of default plans to ensure comprehensive coverage for not only themselves but also their family. These benefits may include dental, vision, and maternity coverage.

Due to Malawi’s subpar public hospitals, its limited access to emergency care, and the lack of accessibility to care in rural areas, international health insurance is strongly recommended for expats.

Assuming your international health insurance plan covers medical evacuation, you won’t have to pay out of pocket if you call for transportation to a better hospital, regardless of the distance and destination.

Best Private Insurance Providers for Expats in Malawi

Some notable international health insurance providers recommended for expats living in Malawi include Cigna, AXA, and more. We will discuss each insurer and give you a quick rundown of some of their coverage across plans.

Cigna Global

Cigna Global offers comprehensive and customizable health insurance plans, granting expats maximum flexibility thanks to around-the-clock customer service. The types of plans available from Cigna Global, along with their respective annual limits, are as follows:

• Silver (Annual Limit: USD $1,000,000)
• Gold (Annual Limit: USD $2,000,000)
• Platinum (Annual Limit: Unlimited)

Listed below are the common benefits shared thr

oughout Cigna Global’s health insurance plans:

AXA

AXA Global’s health insurance plans offer different levels of customizable coverage, such as options for hospitalization, outpatient treatments, emergency care, and medical evacuation. With maximum flexibility, it’s no surprise that AXA’s plans are a favorite among expats.

Common areas of coverage across all of AXA’s health insurance plans include:

April International

Health insurance plans from April International are designed for expats, granting hospitalization, outpatient services, maternity, and dental coverage. They also offer user-friendly mobile claims and support, a 24/7 telemedicine service, as well as a vast direct billing network.

The following are examples of the shared areas of coverage seen throughout their plans:

Geoblue

Geoblue’s Xplorer plan comes in essential and premier variations and is designed for expats traveling from the United States for work, studying, or leisure purposes.

Expats also have the option of choosing between worldwide coverage options with or without the US. Some of the common features seen throughout Geoblue’s health insurance plans include are as follows:

Factors to Consider When Picking Insurance in Malawi

When securing health insurance in Malawi, expats should carefully consider key factors like the country’s quality of public hospitals and limited healthcare access as well as general insurance-related factors like foregoing biased price-based decisions in favor of plan comprehensiveness.

Listed below are factors expats should consider when securing health insurance in Malawi:

• The Country’s Limited Access to Healthcare and Subpar Public Hospitals: Access to healthcare in Malawi is unfortunately limited, and many facilities lack adequate staff and quality treatment options.
• Don’t Decide Based on Price: When selecting a health insurance plan, don’t decide exclusively based on price, as the cheapest plan won’t guarantee comprehensive coverage and you may be subject to expensive out-of-pocket payments for services.
• Comprehensiveness Must Come First: Choose a plan that covers all your healthcare priorities. You can choose benefits such as dental, maternity, vision, prescription medication, or vaccination coverage.

Health and Safety Tips for Expats in Malawi

Expats in Malawi will want to get certain types of vaccination like COVID-19 and those for mosquito or food and waterborne diseases. Additionally, expats should also exercise caution when it comes to risks of petty crimes like bag snatching or mugging.

In the sections to follow, we will be discussing health and safety tips for expats in Malawi.

Recommended Vaccines for Expats in Malawi

Expats in Malawi will want to stay up to date on routine vaccines such as the influenza and COVID-19. Below are the different routine vaccines expats should stay up to date on to ensure their safety and wellbeing.

• Influenza
• COVID-19
• Chickenpox
• TDAP (Tetanus, Diphtheria, and Pertussis)
• MMR (Measles, Mumps, Rubella)
• Shingles
• Polio

Beyond staying up to date on general routine vaccines, expats are strongly urged to get vaccinated for insect and food or waterborne diseases such as cholera, typhoid, chikungunya, and more. Recommended vaccines for expats in Malawi are as follows:

• Hepatitis A and Hepatitis B
• Chikungunya
• Cholera
• Measles
• Rabies
• Typhoid
• Yellow Fever

For more information on vaccine dosage and other recommendations, please click the link below:

Malawi - Traveler view | Travelers' Health | CDC

Crime and Safety Tips for Expats in Malawi

Be on the lookout for petty crimes such as mugging or bag snatching. Exercise caution when it comes to your belongings by refraining from bringing expensive jewelry, documents, or large sums of cash. Don’t leave your belongings unattended.

Instead, leave expensive jewelry, documents and large sums of cash at home or in your hotel. Make sure to also avoid walking alone, especially in the dark as this is where muggers or bag snatchers can sneak up on you when you can’t see them.

Emergency Numbers for Expats in Malawi

Malawi has many different emergency numbers available for expats and local citizens alike. In the event of an emergency, call :

• Police Department: 990 or 997
• Fire Department: 999
• Ambulance: 1188

Frequently Asked Questions

How is healthcare funded in Malawi?

The government of Malawi utilizes a government-funded national healthcare scheme, allowing all Malawians to access free healthcare.

What is the main health issue in Malawi?

Malaria, spread through mosquito bites, is a common health issue in Malawi. Since there is no proper vaccination tailored to preventing the disease, expats should exercise caution by carrying antimalarial medication and keeping their doors and windows closed to prevent mosquito entry.

What languages are spoken in Malawi?

Malawi’s official language is English, and the country overall is multilingual as other languages spoken in the country include Chewa, Yao, Tonga, Sena, and Elomwe.

Compare Plans and Quotes Now

Because Malawi is known for its limited access to healthcare and generally subpar facilities, expats are strongly urged to invest in an international health insurance plan. If your plan covers medical evacuation, you can then access better hospitals abroad without out-of-pocket payment.

With over 20 years of experience, Pacific Prime and our brokers can help you select health insurance plans that not only align with your budget but also your unique healthcare priorities to ensure maximum coverage and peace of mind for you and your family.

Contact us today or compare quotes with our online quotation system!