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Open AccessDevelo** comprehensive woman hand-held case notes to improve quality of antenatal care in low-income settings: participatory approach with maternal health stakeholders in Malawi
In the quest for quality antenatal care (ANC) and positive pregnancy experience, the value of comprehensive woman hand-held case notes cannot be emphasised enough. However, the woman’s health passport book in ...
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Article
Open AccessFactors influencing fathers’ involvement in the care of hospitalized preterm newborns in Balaka, Malawi
Malawi has one of the highest incidences of premature birth, with twice the mortality compared to full-term. Excluding fathers from preterm newborn care has negative consequences, including father feeling powe...
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Open AccessUptake of, barriers and enablers to the utilization of postnatal care services in Thyolo, Malawi
Postnatal care (PNC) ensures early assessments for danger signs during the postpartum period and is to be provided within 24 h of birth, 48–72 h, 7–14 days, and six weeks after birth. This study assessed the ...
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Open AccessPerceptions on acceptability of the 2016 WHO ANC model among the pregnant women in Phalombe District, Malawi – a qualitative study using Theoretical Framework of Acceptability
The World Health Organization introduced a new model of care, ‘The 2016 WHO ANC Model’ to overcome challenges encountered during the implementation of the Focused Antenatal Care Approach. For any new intervent...
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Open Access“We should be at the table together from the beginning”: perspectives on partnership from stakeholders at four research institutions in sub-Saharan Africa
Global health research partnerships have been scrutinised for how they operate and criticised for perpetuating inequities. Guidance to inform fair partnership practice has proliferated and the movement to deco...
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Open AccessTo disclose or not: experiences of HIV infected pregnant women in disclosing their HIV status to their male sexual partners in Blantyre, Malawi
HIV status disclosure is one of the pillars of success of the elimination of Mother to Child Transmission of HIV (eMTCT) program. However, there are challenges associated with it that limit full disclosure. Li...
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Open Access“I don’t hesitate to use the left-over antibiotics for my child” practices and experiences with antibiotic use among caregivers of paediatric patients at Zomba central hospital in Malawi
Inappropriate use of antibiotics is among the major causes of the global emergency of antibiotic resistance among children. The problem of inappropriate use of antibiotics among children is of special concern ...
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Open AccessChallenges and recommendations to improve implementation of phototherapy among neonates in Malawian hospitals
Severe neonatal jaundice can result in long term morbidities and mortality when left untreated. Phototherapy is the main-stay intervention for treating moderate jaundice and for prevention of the development o...
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Open AccessEating behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs that contribute to overweight and obesity among women in Lilongwe City, Malawi: a qualitative study
Obesity is increasingly a public health concern in low- and middle-income countries, including Malawi where 36% of women have body mass index in overweight/obese categories in urban areas. Eating behaviors, at...
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Open AccessHealthcare worker perspectives on mother’s insufficient milk supply in Malawi
Human milk insufficiency is a significant barrier to implementing breastfeeding, and it is identified as a prevalent concern in 60–90% of mothers in low-and-middle-income countries. Breastmilk insufficiency ca...
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Open AccessFamiliar but neglected: identification of gaps and recommendations to close them on exclusive breastfeeding support in health facilities in Malawi
Exclusive breastfeeding is widely accepted as a key intervention with proven efficacy for improving newborn survival. Despite international commitments and targets to support and promote breastfeeding, there a...
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Open AccessMothers’ quality of life delivering kangaroo mother care at Malawian hospitals: a qualitative study
Kangaroo mother care is known to help save the lives of preterm and low birthweight infants, particularly in resource-limited health settings, yet barriers to implementation have been documented. Mothers and t...
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Open AccessFacility assessment and qualitative analysis of health worker perspectives on neonatal health in Malawi
The “Integrating a neonatal healthcare package for Malawi” (IMCHA#108030) project conducted mixed-methods to understand facility-based implementation factors for newborn health innovations in low-resourced hea...
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Open AccessBarriers and facilitators for early and exclusive breastfeeding in health facilities in Sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
Sub-Saharan Africa carries a disproportionate burden of under-five child deaths in the world and appropriate breastfeeding practices can support efforts to reduce child mortality rates. Health facilities are i...
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Open AccessA qualitative exploration of roles and expectations of male partners from PMTCT services in rural Malawi
Prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV (PMTCT) is effective in curbing rates of HIV infection in children because its interventions reduce the rates of transmission during pregnancy, in labour, and ...
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Open AccessBarriers and facilitators of facility-based kangaroo mother care in sub-Saharan Africa: a systematic review
Hospital-based kangaroo mother care can help reduce preventable newborn deaths and has been recommended by the World Health Organization in the care of low birthweight babies weighing 2000 g or less. However, ...
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Open AccessDelivery strategies for optimizing uptake of contraceptives among adolescents aged 15–19 years in Nsanje District, Malawi
Despite documented benefits of contraceptives, uptake among young people aged 20–24 years is high compared to adolescents aged 15–19 years in Malawi. As the world’s population of 15–19-year-olds continues to g...
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Open Access“It brought hope and peace in my heart:” Caregivers perceptions on kangaroo mother care services in Malawi
Kangaroo mother care (KMC) is an effective intervention for preterm and low birth weight infants. Effective implementation of KMC relies on a multidisciplinary team centering on the newborn’s caregiver, who de...
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Open AccessScaling up newborn care technologies from tertiary- to secondary-level hospitals in Malawi: an implementation case study of health professional perspectives on bubble CPAP
While Malawi has achieved success in reducing overall under-five mortality, reduction of neonatal mortality remains a persistent challenge. There has, therefore, been a push to strengthen the capacity for qual...
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Open Access“It’s business as usual”: adolescents perspectives on the ban of alcohol sachets towards reduction in under age alcohol use in Malawi
Alcohol contributes to poor health, social and economic outcomes among adolescents. In Malawi, alcohol consumption among young people significantly increased after the introduction of alcohol sachets. A govern...