Africa - The Health Foundation launches £2.7 million initiative to save the lives of mothers and babies in Malawi

Citation

(2006), "Africa - The Health Foundation launches £2.7 million initiative to save the lives of mothers and babies in Malawi", International Journal of Health Care Quality Assurance, Vol. 19 No. 5. https://doi.org/10.1108/ijhcqa.2006.06219eab.005

Africa - The Health Foundation launches £2.7 million initiative to save the lives of mothers and babies in Malawi

Africa

The Health Foundation launches £2.7 million initiative to save the lives of mothers and babies in Malawi

Keywords: Maternal healthcare, Patient empowerment, Healthcare education

The Health Foundation has officially launched a £2.7 million, three-year programme dedicated to improving the quality of healthcare for babies and mothers living in Malawi. An international consortium of leading experts has been formed by the Foundation to work alongside Malawian healthcare professionals and the Malawi government.

Malawi has one of the world’s highest rates of maternal deaths during childbirth. Recent surveys suggest that 1,120 mothers die for every 100,000 live births. Infant death rates are also high with 42 babies dying for every 1,000 births. Nearly half of all deliveries (44 per cent) occur outside of healthcare facilities, making it difficult to provide timely and effective treatment when complications occur during childbirth.

The Health Foundation’s programme is seen to be particularly innovative as it not only supports government efforts to improve care inside hospitals but also provides support directly to village communities, empowering and educating local people to improve care for pregnant women and newborn babies. This two-pronged approach has not been applied in an international setting before and, if successful, could make a substantial contribution to the international development community. The Foundation will also work with the Malawi government on a national audit of births and deaths so that health officials can monitor improvements and identify areas where enhanced work is needed.

His Excellency Dr Francis Moto, High Commissioner for the Republic of Malawi, and a number of eminent figures in the field of maternal and child health have helped to launch the programme. His Excellency said: “I welcome The Health Foundation’s important investment in Malawi. There is an urgent need to address the situation for mothers and babies who require the highest standards of care possible. The Health Foundation is the first external donor to come forward with a programme that will bolster our existing work to improve the situation and I congratulate them on their approach.”

Stephen Thornton, Chief Executive of The Health Foundation, said: “Pound for pound, The Health Foundation’s support for this programme is a good investment. It will save the lives of many women and children in Malawi, whilst providing real and sustainable changes to maternity care.”

The Health Foundation will partner with four organisations to plan and carry out the work in Malawi, namely Liverpool Associates in Tropical Health/Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Women and Children First and The Institute of Child Health. These organisations have been selected based on their diverse and complementary expertise and their existing experience of working in Malawi. Representatives from the consortium will work closely with the Malawian Ministry of Health, hospitals, clinics and local community women’s groups.

Further information www.health.org.uk