Not Business as Usual

This case study examines the Malawi Police Service's (MPS) institutional response to the HIV/AIDS epidemic. While the MPS is noted as having one of the most developed public sector responses in Malawi, including a formal policy and coordinating structures, it faces significant challenges including high attrition rates, staffing shortages, and a policy framework that is poorly disseminated and lacks specific implementation guidelines.

• The Malawi Police Service (MPS) has established a more comprehensive institutional response to HIV/AIDS than other studied institutions, beginning its efforts in 1999. It is the only one of the three institutions studied to have both a formalised HIV/AIDS programme and a specific HIV/AIDS policy in place.
• The MPS's HIV/AIDS policy, developed in 2002 by the Ministry of Home Affairs and Security, suffers from poor dissemination and structural weaknesses. Less than 19% of surveyed personnel had seen the document, and the policy is criticised for being overly generic, containing contradictory statements regarding confidentiality and spouse notification, and lacking clear roles for implementation and funding.
• Death rates within the MPS increased substantially between 1990 and 2003, rising from approximately 1% to over 3%, which is significantly higher than the national adult death rate of 1.1%. Death became a primary driver of attrition, accounting for just under three fifths of attrition by 2000 and approximately 61% to 65% in 2002 and 2003.
• HIV/AIDS-related attrition is exacerbating existing institutional vulnerabilities, including chronic understaffing and a reliance on highly skilled personnel who are difficult to replace. The financial impact includes the loss of basic training costs—estimated between US$75,402 and US$151,000 annually—and the diversion of official budget lines to cover funeral costs, which may have totaled MWK46 million (US$434,000) or more over five years.
• The MPS has implemented coordinating structures, including the Police AIDS Control Unit (PACU) at national headquarters and committees at regional and station levels. However, while senior leadership is involved at the top, day-to-day coordination at lower levels is often handled by junior officers, making it difficult to secure the necessary buy-in and support from senior personnel at those levels.
• Prevention programmes have reached most personnel through condom distribution, peer education, and awareness drama, but have struggled to effect behaviour change or address stigma. Care and support activities remain limited, with VCT and antiretroviral therapy largely confined to the police hospital in Zomba.
• With support from DFID and the National AIDS Commission (NAC), the MPS is working to move beyond simple replacement of staff toward impact mitigation strategies. These include conducting institutional audits, developing management information systems for attrition, and creating a comprehensive funding proposal for expanded care and support, including new VCT facilities.

APA

Institute for Security Studies (2005). Not Business as Usual. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NOTBUSINESSCHAP6.PDF

Chicago

Institute for Security Studies. Not Business as Usual. 2005. https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NOTBUSINESSCHAP6.PDF.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Institute for Security Studies |title=Not Business as Usual |date=2005 |url=https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NOTBUSINESSCHAP6.PDF |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{instituteforsecuritystudies2005not, author = {{Institute for Security Studies}}, title = {{Not Business as Usual}}, institution = {Institute for Security Studies}, year = {2005}, url = {https://issafrica.s3.amazonaws.com/site/uploads/NOTBUSINESSCHAP6.PDF}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }