Grace Malenga

Grace Malenga (born in 1947) is a Malawian paediatrician and researcher. She is the first female Malawian doctor to practice in Malawi.^[1] She served as District Health Officer, regional health director of Southern region and director of Malaria Unit^[2] at Kamuzu University of Health and Sciences (formerly, College of Medicine). She also held multiple senior positions as both a clinician and researcher including country health coordinator for UNHCR refugee programme. Malenga retired after serving for thirty five years in Malawi.

Early life

Malenga was born in Likoma Island, Malawi.^[1] She grew up in Likoma Island as the eldest child in a family of 10 children.  As a young person she enjoyed swimming and fishing in Lake Malawi. She also enjoyed time with family and friends at the island. She later left the island to complete both her secondary and tertiary education.^[1] She later described her experience being away from home at that period as an exciting time and adventurous.

Malenga is married to Edward Malenga, agronomist and they have children together.^[1] Her son died at an age of 18 in a car accident. ^[1] Her husband, two daughters and extended family are said to have provided important support throughout her career in Malawi.^[1]

Education

Malenga spent her early secondary school years at Malosa Mission Secondary School in Malosa, Zomba, Malawi.  She later obtained her ‘O’  level certificate at Blantyre Secondary School in Blantyre, Malawi.^[1]

Malenga studied medicine at the University of Bristol in the United Kingdom through a British Council scholarship. She completed her medical degree in 1972. After, working for several years in Malawi, she studied for a Masters in Paediatrics at the University of Nairobi, Kenya.^[1]

Career and contributions

Upon returning to Malawi after completing her medical degree, she served at several districts in Southern Malawi including Chikwawa and Mulanje as District Health Officer (DHO). After her postgraduate studies, she continued working as DHO in Mulanje. In 1988, she moved to Blantyre to take on the role of regional health officer for Southern Region in Malawi. She later served as the country Health Coordinator for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for Mozambican civil war refugees in Malawi.^[1] During her work with the UNHCR, she conducted medical research and investigated health conditions affecting the refugee population in Malawi.^[3]

Malenga later worked at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital and KUHES where she held several senior roles. She was director of the Malaria Alert Centre, at KUHES in Blantyre. She served at several roles at Malawi Medical Council including secretary and chair of the Malawi Medical Council.^[1][4][5]

Malenga has conducted research and published on Malaria challenges in Malawi .^[6] She also served on several advisory boards on Malaria both locally and internationally including member of Malaria Advisory Group at Against Malaria Foundation.^[7][8]

Malenga retired in 2007 after serving for 35 years.^[1] After retirement she relocated to NKhotakota to live with rural communities and study their understanding of health and medicine.^[1]

See also

Vida Mungwira

References

1. ^ Malenga, Grace (September 2007). "Retiring gracefully". Malawi Medical Journal: The Journal of Medical Association of Malawi. 19 (3): 128–130. ISSN 1995-7262. PMC 3345631. PMID 23878658
2. ^ Butler, Declan (August 2004). "Power to the people". Nature. 430 (7002): 928–929. Bibcode:2004Natur.430..928B. doi:10.1038/430928a. ISSN 1476-4687. PMID 15318231
3. ^ Malfait, P.; Moren, A.; Dillon, J. C.; Brodel, A.; Begkoyian, G.; Etchegorry, M. G.; Malenga, G.; Hakewill, P. (June 1993). "An outbreak of pellagra related to changes in dietary niacin among Mozambican refugees in Malawi". International Journal of Epidemiology. 22 (3): 504–511. doi:10.1093/ije/22.3.504. ISSN 0300-5771. PMID 8359968
4. ^ Medical Association of Malawi. "Sexually Transmitted Diseases". Sabinet African Journals. doi:10.10520/AJA19957262_17. Retrieved 2026-05-30.
5. ^ Manyozo-Phiri, M. J.; Gumbo, E.; Nalikungwi, R.; Muula, A. S. (September 2001). "The Medical Council of Malawi". Malawi Medical Journal: The Journal of Medical Association of Malawi. 13 (3): 48–51. ISSN 1995-7262. PMC 3345395. PMID 27528910
6. ^ Dambe, Rosalia; Sande, John; Ali, Doreen; Chilima, Ben; Dodoli, Wilfred; Michelo, Charles; Malenga, Grace; Phiri, Kamija S. (2015-04-23). "Monitoring the efficacy of artemether-lumefantrine for the treatment of uncomplicated malaria in Malawian children". Malaria Journal. 14. doi:10.1186/s12936-015-0701-8. ISSN 1475-2875. PMC 4409988. PMID 25902780
7. ^ Taylor, Terrie (2021-11-18). "Blog". Terrie Taylor, D.O.. Retrieved 2026-05-29.
8. ^ "Against Malaria". The Against Malaria Foundation. Retrieved 2026-05-30.