Family in Malawi. Health remains a priority sector in Malawi, accounting for 77.2 percent of the U.S. budget request for the country for fiscal 2015. Photo by: B. Deutsch / USAID
Exhibiting some of the worst development indicators in the world, Malawi suffers from widespread poverty, a fragile economy and dire social conditions.
Agriculture accounts for 38 percent of the landlocked country’s gross domestic product. It is also the largest source of employment for Malawians, most of whom earn a living through maize farming. As such, the economy is highly vulnerable to environmental shocks such as periodic droughts.