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Summary of National Priorities - Malawi

Community Health Roadmap United States Agency for International Development; Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; The Rockefeller Foundation; World Bank Group; community health acceleration partnership; unicef (2021) CC

Malawi’s first National Community Health Strategy (NCHS, 2017-2022) defines a new community health system in which community health cadres, both formal and non-formal, deliver services of the Essential Health Package, with a focus on child and maternal health. It envisages an integrated approach t... more

Qualitative assessment of community health workers’ perspective on their motivation in community-based primary health care in rural Malawi

Ndambo, M.K.; Munyaneza, F.; Aron, M.B. et al. BMC Health Services Research (2022) CC

Background: Community Health Workers (CHWs) have a positive impact on the provision of community-based primary health care through screening, treatment, referral, psychosocial support, and accompaniment. With a broad scope of work, CHW programs must balance the breadth and depth of tasks to mainta...in CHW motivation for high-quality care delivery. Few studies have described the CHW perspective on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation to enhance their programmatic activities. Methods: We utilized an exploratory qualitative study design with CHWs employed in the household model in Neno District, Malawi, to explore their perspectives on intrinsic and extrinsic motivators and dissatisfiers in their work. Data was collected in 8 focus group discussions with 90 CHWs in October 2018 and March–April 2019 in seven purposively selected catchment areas. All interviews were audiotaped, transcribed verbatim, coded, and analyzed using Dedoose. Results: Themes of complex intrinsic and extrinsic factors were generated from the perspectives of the CHWs in the focus group discussions. Study results indicate that enabling factors are primarily intrinsic factors such as positive patient outcomes, community respect, and recognition by the formal health care system but can lead to the chal- lenge of increased scope and workload. Extrinsic factors can provide challenges, including an increased scope and workload from original expectations, lack of resources to utilize in their work, and rugged geography. However, a posi- tive work environment through supportive relationships between CHWs and supervisors enables the CHWs. Conclusion: This study demonstrated enabling factors and challenges for CHW performance from their perspec- tive within the dual-factor theory. We can mitigate challenges through focused efforts to limit geographical distance, manage workload, and strengthen CHW support to reinforce their recognition and trust. Such programmatic empha- sis can focus on enhancing motivational factors found in this study to improve the CHWs’ experience in their role. The engagement of CHWs, the communities, and the formal health care system is critical to improving the care provided to the patients and communities, along with building supportive systems to recognize the work done by CHWs for the primary health care systems. more

The availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines in Malawi: A cross-sectional study

Khuluza, F.; Haefele-Abah, C. PLoS ONE (2019) CC

The Malawian government recently introduced cost-covering consultation fees for self-referral patients in tertiary public hospitals. Previously, patients received medicines free of charge in government-owned health facilities, but must pay elsewhere. Before the government implements a payment policy... more

Intention to action series: Regional reflections. Analysis from informal regional consultations with people living with noncommunicable diseases and mental health conditions 2023 WHO

World Health Organization (WHO) World Health Organization (WHO) (2023) C_WHO

This report includes analysis from informal regional consultations in the African Region, the Caribbean and North America, Latin America, South-East Asia Region, European Region, Eastern Mediterranean Region, alongside three forums in the Western Pacific Region. It analyses the overarching similarit... more

Sharing successful strategies from the Eastern Mediterranean Region in mitigating noncommunicable diseases and mentalhealth disorders during the COVID-19pandemic and beyond

World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean (2023) C_WHO

The "Stories from the field" document by the WHO Regional Office for the Eastern Mediterranean shares effective strategies from the Eastern Mediterranean Region for addressing noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) and mental health challenges, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. It highlights regio... more

Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List for South Africa; Primary Healthcare Level 2020 Edition; Department of Health: Republic of South Africa

National Department of Health, South Africa National Department of Health, South Africa (2020) CC2

The "Primary Healthcare Standard Treatment Guidelines and Essential Medicines List" by the South African National Department of Health provides evidence-based guidelines for diagnosing and managing common medical conditions at the primary healthcare level. This document includes treatment protocols ... more

Technical Brief: Integrating mental health and psychosocial support into education in emergencies using the Minimum Service Package

UN Children's Fund UNICEF (2024) CC

The aim of the Technical Brief is to offer guidance to education professionals on how to integrate Mental Health and Psychosocial Support into Education in Emergencies programming. An overview of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities that can be implemented in Education in Emergencies co... more

Symptom-based screening tool for asthma syndrome among young children in Uganda

Nantanda, R.; Siersma, V.; Ndeezi, G. et al. npj Primary Care Respiratory Medicine (2020) CC

Under-diagnosis of asthma in ‘under-fives’ may be alleviated by improved inquiry into disease history. We assessed a questionnaire-based screening tool for asthma among 614 ‘under-fives’ with severe respiratory illness in Uganda. The questionnaire responses were compared to post hoc consensu... more

Prevalence, severity and risk factors for asthma in school-going adolescents in KwaZulu Natal, South Africa

Mphahlele, R.; Lesosky, M.; Masekela, R. BMJ Open Respiratory Research (2023) CC

Background Asthma remains highly prevalent, with more severe symptoms in low-income to middle-income countries (LMICs) compared with high-income countries. Identifying risk factors for severe asthma symptoms can assist with improving outcomes. We aimed to determine the prevalence, severity and ris... more

Pediatric Asthma: A Global Epidemic

Serebrisky, D.; Wiznia, A. Annals of Global Health (2019) CC

The global prevalence, morbidity and mortality related to childhood asthma among children has increased significantly over the last 40 years. Although asthma is recognized as the most common chronic disease in children, issues of underdiagnosis and undertreatment persist. There are substantial globa... more

Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2022 update)

Global Initiative for Asthma (2022) CC2

The reader acknowledges that this report is intended as an evidence-based asthma management strategy, for the use of health professionals and policy-makers. It is based, to the best of our knowledge, on current best evidence and medical knowledge and practice at the date of publication. When assessi... more

Global Strategy for Asthma Management and Prevention (2019 update)

Global Initiative for Asthma (2019) CC2

Improving the global diagnosis and management of asthma in children

Lenney, W.; Bush, A.; Fitzgerald, D.A. et al. BMJ Journals (2018) CC

Asthma is the most common chronic condition in children worldwide. It affects daytime activities, sleep and school attendance and causes anxiety to parents, families and other carers. The quality of asthma diagnosis and management globally still needs substantial improvement. From infancy to the tee... more

City-level monitoring guidance for the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and injuries

World Health Organisation (WHO) (2024) C_WHO

The guidance document provides a set of indicators for assessing the status of development, implementation and monitoring of key policy interventions for prevention and control of NCDs and injuries. It promotes city-level evidence based decision-making processes to identify gaps and take appropriate... more

Dolutegravir Resistance in Malawi’s National HIV Treatment Program

van Ossterhout, J. J.; Chipungu, C.; Nkhoma, L. et all. (2022) CC2

Dolutegravir HIV drug resistance (HIVDR) data from Africa remain sparse. We reviewed HIVDR results of Malawians on dolutegravir-based antiretroviral therapy (November 2020– September 2021). Of 6462 eligible clients, 33 samples were submitted to South Africa, 27 were sequenced successfully, and 8 ... more

Integrated Family Planning and Immunization Service Delivery at Health Facility and Community Sites in Dowa and Ntchisi Districts of Malawi: A Mixed Methods Process Evaluation

Cooper, C. M.; Wille, J.; Shire, S.; et al. (2020) CC2

The Government of Malawi’s Health Sector Strategic Plan II highlights the importance of service integration; however, in practice, this has not been fully realized. We conducted a mixed methods evaluation of efforts to systematically implement integrated family planning and immunization services i... more

Good Practices in Perinatal Mental Health for Women during Wars and Migrations: A Narrative Synthesis from the COST Action Riseup-PPD in the Context of the War in Ukraine

Rodríguez-Muñoz, M. F., Krupelnytska, L. et al. (2022) CC

Since February 24th, 2022, the beginning of Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, more than 80,000 women were expected to give birth. Therefore, understanding the impact of war on the perinatal health of women is an important requisite to improve perinatal care. This narrative synthesis has two mai... more

Prevalence, Etiology, and Outcome of Sepsis among Critically Ill Patients in Malawi

Prin, M.; Onofrey, L.; Purcell, L; et al. (2020) CC2

Most of the global burden of sepsis occurs in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), but the prevalence and etiology of sepsis in LMICs are not well understood. In particular, the lack of laboratory infrastructure in many LMICs has historically precluded an assessment of the pathogens leading to ... more

Social capital insights from Healthy Settings needs assessment in Malawi

Rippon, S.; Beattie, T. K.; Lungu, K.; et al. (2018) CC2

Healthy Settings, a key component of Malawi’s Health Sector Strategic Plan (HSSP) 2011–2016, is the World Health Organization’s (WHO) holistic community-led approach to achieving health improvement by addressing social determinants of health, an approach which is central to the current WHO fra... more

Renewable energy solutions improve children’s health and wellbeing in Malawi

Unicef (2021) C_UNICEF

UNICEF Malawi and its partners are prioritizing renewable energy solutions for children and communities across the country to access clean and affordable electricity, with a focus on hard-to-reach, rural communities unable to access the national electricity grid.