International observers hopeful about Malawian President Banda's agenda for maternal health

"Any new president has a vast array of items on his or her agenda, but newly inaugurated Malawian President Joyce Hilda Banda has elevated a praise-worthy agenda for maternal health at the very outset of her time in office," Alisha Kramer, a research assistant at the Center For Strategic & International Studies' (CSIS) Global Health Policy Center, writes in this post in the center's "Smart Global Health" blog. "After former President Bingu wa Mutharika died unexpectedly from a heart attack, President Banda took office on April 7th, 2012 after a brief succession struggle," Kramer notes, adding, "Domestic and international observers of Banda are optimistic that Banda's vision for improved governance can reverse the downward course of her predecessor" (6/22).