162 Recognizing the importance of community health and the opportunity to address these challenges, the Ministry of Health and Population has developed the country’s first National Community Health Strategy (NCHS) for the period of 2017-2022. The Community Health Services (CHS) Section has led this work in coordination with the Department for Planning and Policy Development (DPPD). The NCHS ties into the Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP II), which underscores primary health care and community participation as core principles. Extensive consultation guided the development of the NCHS: over 500 stakeholders across the health system, local government, and communities helped to highlight strengths and challenges, identify and priorities key issues and activities, and develop the implementation plan. 163 The vision of the NCHS is to improve the livelihoods of all people in Malawi. The mission is to ensure quality, integrated community health services are affordable, culturally acceptable, scientifically appropriate, and accessible to every household through community participation – in order to promote health and contribute to the socioeconomic status of all people in Malawi. 164 By 2022, the NCHS aims to contribute to achievement of two health outcome targets aligned with the HSSP II: a 25% decrease in the under-five mortality rate (U5MR) from 64 to 48 per 1,000 live births and a 20% reduction in the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) from 439 to 350 per 100,000live births. To achieve these goals, the NCHS defines a new community health system for Malawi. Within this system, community health refers to a package of basic preventive, promotive, curative, rehabilitative, and surveillance health services delivered at the community level with the participation and ownership of rural and urban communities. This package consists of the community components of the Essential Health Package (EHP), as defined by HSSP II, and CHWs will deliver these services through an integrated approach. 165 For the NCHS, integration is defined as the coordinated delivery of multiple health interventions as well as interventions from other sectors that improve health outcomes. Integration will take place at the point of care, which helps to improve health system efficiencies, reduce fragmentation, and increase access to care. Other key features within the community health system include a team-based structure for CHWs, strengthened 57