A devastating funding crisis threatens to strip vulnerable young women across Malawi of access to contraception, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) has warned, as the country braces for a shortfall of more than $10 million in 2027.
The stark warning came as UNFPA marked World Contraception Day, observed on 26 September each year, with UNFPA Representative for Malawi, Richard Delate, insisting access to contraception remains absolutely critical in allowing women and girls to take control of their own futures.
At the heart of the appeal is the heartbreaking story of Linda Kanyoza, who was just 16 years old when Cyclone Freddy tore through her home, leaving her family with nothing. She and her family were forced into a makeshift camp, where poverty and uncertainty shaped daily life.
It was there that Linda met a travelling vendor who promised to marry her and whisk her away to town, where she believed life might finally improve.
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But when he discovered she was pregnant, he vanished without a trace, leaving the teenager to raise her child entirely alone.
Linda dropped out of school and was forced to confront the brutal realities of motherhood while still a child herself.
Today, however, Linda accesses contraceptives in her own community through a community-based distribution agent trained with UNFPA support, offering her a lifeline of hope she never imagined possible.
"I know I can plan when I want to have another child, and I hope this will help me go back to school and finish my education," Linda said.
Her story, UNFPA says, illustrates exactly what contraception can make possible, allowing Linda to plan any future pregnancy while still pursuing her dream of finishing school, and offering other women and couples across the country the power to decide when to have children and build the families they choose.
But that choice depends entirely on access, and access is now hanging by a thread. UNFPA revealed that nearly one in three girls aged 15 to 19 in Malawi has been pregnant, with the rate soaring even higher in rural communities at 34 percent, compared to 19 percent in urban areas, underscoring the urgent need for women and girls to have accurate information and reliable services they can trust, particularly when emergencies upend their lives.
Delate praised the Malawian government for stepping up, revealing it released K730 million in 2026 to purchase vital contraceptives, with a further K1 billion earmarked for 2027, calling the commitments crucial steps toward sustaining family planning services and ensuring contraceptives reach health facilities and communities, especially in rural areas.
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"A choice is meaningful only when people have the means to act on it," Delate said. "The investment by the Government of Malawi, and other donors is making it possible for women and couples across Malawi, to decide the future they want for themselves and their families."
He added that for Linda specifically, these investments are keeping alive her hope of returning to school and securing a better future for herself and her family.
But Delate delivered a chilling warning alongside the praise. With donor support declining amid a shifting global funding landscape, he revealed Malawi now faces an estimated gap exceeding $10 million for contraceptive procurement in 2027.
"Unless that gap is closed, reliable access to contraception will be at risk for young women like Linda, who depend on it to plan when to have another child and pursue their education," he warned.
UNFPA has vowed to continue working closely with government and partners to secure vital contraceptive supplies and bring essential information and services closer to those who need them most.
Marking this year's World Contraception Day, Delate issued a powerful closing appeal: "We call for sustained investment so that women and girls in every community can make choices about their own futures, reach their full potential, ensure the wellbeing of their families, communities and Malawi."
