Community Health Workers (CHWs) have long been essential in supporting health service delivery in Malawi. They help in bringing essential health services information directly to households, often in settings where health facilities are far away. Yet, despite their vital role, many community volunteers receive limited training and continuous mentorship. Thanks to recent advances in ArtificialRead more about How AI Is Empowering Community Volunteers in Malawi[…]

Large language models (LLMs) have significantly improved natural language processing, holding the potential to support health workers and their clients directly. Unfortunately, there is a substantial and variable drop in performance for low-resource languages. Here we present results from an exploratory case study in Malawi, aiming to enhance the performance of LLMs in Chichewa throughRead more about Human Review for Post-Training Improvement of Low-Resource Language Performance in Large Language Models[…]

In 2017, WHO and global partners launched ‘The Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health’ (QCN) seeking to reduce in-facility maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirth by 50% in health facilities by 2022. We explored how the QCN theory of change guided what actually happened over 2018–2022 in order toRead more about Evaluating theory of change to improve the functioning of the network for improving quality of care for maternal, newborn and child health[…]

The Quality-of Care Network (QCN), launched by WHO and partners, links global and national actors across several countries to improve maternal and newborn health. We conducted a prospective qualitative study to examine how QCN in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda facilitated learning, sharing, and innovation within and between network countries. We conducted 227 key informantRead more about Do global health networks facilitate innovation, learning and sharing? A qualitative analysis of the Quality-of-Care Network in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda[…]

Background: Mortality among children with acute illness in low-income countries remains high. Referral issues and limitations in emergency care are major challenges to child health and a hypothesis is that care at lower-level facilities delays quality emergency care. This study investigates the extent of care-seeking at health centres prior to hospital admission for sick children,Read more about Association between care-seeking at health centres preceding hospital admission and in-hospital child mortality in rural Malawi[…]

Ligowe Health Facility in Neno district has been crippled by a persistent issue of night duty staff absenteeism. These healthcare workers were sleeping home during work hours and at times opening the facility around 9 or 10 AM, leaving the community members worried of the situation. A turning point arrived through the Bwalo platform, aRead more about Citizen Engagement Brings Healthcare to Life in Neno[…]

The Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (QCN) aims to work through learning, action, leadership and accountability. We aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of QCN in these four areas at the global level and in four QCN countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi and Uganda. This mixed method evaluation comprised 2-4Read more about Effectiveness of a multi-country implementation-focused network on quality of care: Delivery of interventions and processes for improved maternal, newborn and child health outcomes[…]

Malawi’s President, Dr. Lazarus McCarthy Chakwera, on Tuesday unveiled the “National Youth Policy (2023-2028)” at the Bingu International Convention Centre in Lilongwe. The revised policy was approved by the Malawi Government through the Cabinet on July 19, 2023, replacing the 2013 National Youth Policy. During the launch, President Chakwera expressed his commitment to closely overseeRead more about New Youth Policy Launched to Empower Young People[…]

After eight months of successful campaign on ending child marriages and harmful practices through a UNICEF funded project in Neno, stakeholders have hailed the project. For example, Senior Chief Dambe has told Zodiak Online today Thursday, that the project which has been run by the Parent and Child Health Initiative (PACHI) has seen a significantRead more about Neno Council, UNICEF, PACHI Child Marriages Project Phases Out This Month[…]

Players in the fight against child marriages and other harmful practices in Neno have asked for more funding for the cause arguing that most rural people are being missed with messages on the ills of the vice. This has been said on Monday when UNICEF and the Parent and Child Health Initiative hosted the playersRead more about UNICEF, PACHI Hail Neno Youth Advocates[…]