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"Rap Music and the Youth in Malawi: Reppin' the Flames" by Ken Lipenga Jr. is a book that explores the influence of hip-hop on youth culture in Malawi, one of the poorest countries in the world. The author discusses the spread of hip-hop in African countries, focusing on the popularity of MCing or rapping. The book also examines the use of language in Malawian rap, including the use of local languages and English. It delves into how rappers address specific topics in their music, such as politics, alcohol, and community. The book concludes on a hopeful note, suggesting that hip-hop's popularity in Malawi will continue to grow. [Extracted from the article]

Purpose: This study aims to review and understand the state of records management practices in Malawi, focusing on both public and private sector organisations. Design/methodology/approach: The hermeneutic framework underpinned a qualitative review of the study phenomenon. The inclusion and exclusion criterion for the literature was guided by the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis methodology. Fifteen documents met the eligibility criteria and informed the study findings. The literature comprised of journal articles, dissertations at both master and doctoral levels, and conference papers. Findings: The study found that records are created, captured and maintained both in print and electronic formats. It also confirmed that different types of organisations (public, private, academia and civil society) recognise the need for proper records management practices. However, effective and efficient records management is besieged by numerous obstacles, including lack of funding, absence of records management policy, standards and procedures at both institutional and national levels, poor records classification systems and a lack of top management support. Most importantly, the review shows that the majority of studies in Malawi have focused on academia, with little attention to other equally fundamental areas such as agriculture, trade, tourism, transport and energy. Thus, this situation calls for more empirical studies of records management practices in those sectors. Originality/value: To the best of the authors' knowledge, this is the first kind of review to be done at a national level, so the findings provide significant insights for policymakers and research practitioners on records management research trends to date in Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Concerns about the academic performance of students from marginalized groups underscore calls for students to be taught by teachers of similar racial, ethnic, or gender identities (e.g., Miller, 2018). In sub-Saharan Africa, projects enlist women teachers as role models for girls in an effort to redress persistent gender disparities in education. However, in casting women teachers as inherent role models to girls, these projects run the risk of reinforcing long-standing portrayals of women in the Global South as a monolithic group with heightened responsibility for development (Chant, 2006; Mohanty, 1988). I identify one policy pilot in Malawi as a window for examining this phenomenon, and I pair discourse analysis and ethnographic analysis to investigate how women teachers are constructed in this policy and how these constructions unravel in practice. Drawing on anthropology of policy, I first trace how female teachers are created as particular types of "policy subjects" (Ball, Maguire, Braun, & Hoskins, 2011). Then, I examine how teachers at one school grapple with these narrowly constructed roles. This study's findings caution against a disproportionate reliance on same-gender teachers for role-modelling, particularly when these teachers also belong to marginalized groups.

The tobacco industry is crucial to Malawi's economy, accounting for over 70% of the country's foreign exchange earnings and supporting the livelihoods of a significant portion of the population. Despite its vital role, the current auction management system used by Auction Holdings Limited (AHL) encounters several issues. These include labor-intensive manual processes, a lack of transaction transparency, and inefficiencies that result in delayed payments and disputes over lot allocations. This paper proposes developing an online tobacco auction management system to address these challenges. The new system aims to convert existing manual processes into automated workflows, minimizing human error and speeding up processing times. By utilizing digital technologies, the system will offer real-time updates on auction activities, enhancing transparency for all stakeholders, including farmers, buyers, and regulatory bodies. Additionally, it will streamline the lot allocation process and ensure prompt and secure payment transactions, thereby reducing disputes and improving participant satisfaction. This paper provides a thorough analysis of the proposed system's design and functionality, including user interface specifications, data management protocols, and security features. A feasibility study covering operational, economic, legal, and technical aspects confirms the system's viability. This paper also examines the system's potential impact on the tobacco industry, highlighting benefits like increased operational efficiency, enhanced stakeholder trust, and overall economic improvements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this paper is to explore the perceptions of key stakeholders involved and/or affected by existing paper-based decision support guidelines (known as Community Case Management (CCM)) and a proposed digitised mobile clinical decision support system (CDSS) of CCM in rural settings of Malawi, Africa. Data was collected using field notes and semi-structured interviews with 17 key stakeholders (i.e. clinical, technical, development aid support (NGO), government and community health workers both in Malawi, Europe and USA). Stakeholders provide a rich insight into the variety of both perceived benefits and challenges of the existing guidelines and the proposed electronic CDSS. It was found that all stakeholders believe that the CDSS will improve adherence to guidelines and subsequently result in better care for children. It is further envisioned that the time needed for administration with the current paper-based approach could be reduced using electronic, as opposed to manual, collation and sending of records. This paper acts to underpin the rationale and motivation for the development and rollout of an electronic CDSS to support community health workers in their assessment, classification and treatment of young children in rural settings in Malawi, Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

In the histories of both colonial and postcolonial Malawi, there have been cases of religious-related violence, both in its physical and non-physical forms. Such cases have led to the deaths of the "perpetrators" of violence and 'innocent' believers, destruction of property, prison detentions, and even the forced removal of citizens from the country. This paper analyzes two case studies, one in which private citizens perpetrated the violence, led by a preacher called John Chilembwe, of the Providence Industrial Mission (PIM), challenging British colonial authorities during the second decade of the twentieth century. In the second case, the focus is on the independent Malawi government, which used violence against members of the Jehovah's Witness (JW) religious sect from the early 1960s to the early 1990s, owing to the Witnesses' disassociation from the demands of the secular state. Using data primarily drawn from various archives and other published studies, this paper argues that the use of 'religious-based violence' is not just a domain 'reserved' for those experiencing oppression, exclusion, and marginalization. Rather, authoritarian governments, like the one that emerged in postcolonial Malawi and other parts of Africa, also resorted to using 'religious-based violence' to serve as a tool for eliminating 'non-conforming' religious sects and organizations. In doing so, this paper contributes to the various fields of scholarship, including the relationship between religion and violence in modern Africa and the dynamics and operations of the state in both colonial and postcolonial Africa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes an innovative method to provide a micro-electric tractor which has been developed as part of an initiative that aims to provide socially inclusive and affordable green energy solutions to smallholders in sub-Saharan Africa. It utilizes a 15.0-kW solar array and battery system to power micro-electric tractors for an agricultural practice called deep bed farming in Malawi. Deep bed farming increases smallholder crop yield by about two and half times, which increases revenue by up to 12 times. The extra revenue can then be used to perpetually purchase domestic energy from the solar array, creating a self-sustaining model for decentralized energy access. However, the requirement for land preparation is onerous, and mechanization is needed to help overcome barriers to entry. This paper describes the technical requirements of a solar base station and micro-tractor for use with the deep bed farming technique. The paper covers the 5.9 kWp modular solar design and a 10.0-kWh rated micro-tractor. Testing was undertaken at an isolated grid in Loughborough as a precursor for large-scale testing in Malawi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Candidate debates are increasingly organized during elections in democracies and electoral autocracies. How do debates impact partisan divisions and preferences in these contexts? One theoretical perspective suggests that debates should amplify these preferences and divisions, while another implies debates should attenuate them. This paper evaluates these expectations by studying presidential debates organized during Malawi's May 2019 elections. With an experiment and national panel survey, the paper provides evidence consistent with attenuation: debate watchers were substantially more likely to vote across partisan lines (cross-party voting), became more favorable toward out-partisan candidates, and became less favorable toward co-partisans. Suggestive evidence on causal mechanisms shows that these effects were driven by policy persuasion and debates' impact on perceptions of the candidates' policies and qualities. Results advance debates about information processing, campaign effects, and voting behavior in new democracies and electoral autocracies, and have implications for electoral institutions' impact on partisan divisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crime is increasing worldwide, and quick reporting of crimes is a very important aspect of anti-crime efforts. This problem is noticeable in Malawi, as people often refrain from reporting or sharing information due to the perceived lack of professionalism among some police officers within the security system, despite the presence of professional officers in the Malawi Police Service. With the increase in smartphone usage in Malawi, an opportunity arises to address this issue by tapping into the gap in incident reporting. Developing a mobile-based application is the proposed solution that can facilitate the reporting of crimes through mobile phones. The mobile web-based application will be built on the Flutter platform and will be simultaneously developed with a web-based application using Android and VScode languages to supplement its functionality, with Firebase utilized as the database server. This solution includes an administrative webbased backend accessible to the Malawi Police Service, allowing them to access detailed information on criminal activities. The mobile application emerges as a solution to the way users report crimes, enabling them to report any crime occurring in their locality easily. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the Handover Success Rates (HSR) within Malawi's mobile telecommunications landscape, extending its analysis beyond the initially narrow scope of Airtel Malawi Plc and Telekom Networks Malawi (TNM) to include a more comprehensive dataset covering multiple quarters from the first quarter of 2020. Employing a robust methodological framework, this paper integrates advanced statistical techniques to assess HSR but also examines data throughput, call setup success rates, and customer experience metrics. The findings reveal that while Airtel and TNM consistently surpass the regulatory benchmarks set by the Malawi Communications Regulatory Authority (MACRA), there exists a significant opportunity for further enhancing network reliability and user satisfaction. By showcasing the application of innovative analytical tools and extending the research scope to include a broader range of performance metrics, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of mobile network performance dynamics. The insights garnered from this analysis not only highlight the necessity for ongoing network optimization efforts but also underscore the potential for adopting next-generation technologies to sustain and improve service quality in the face of increasing demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this 2-year study was to investigate Malawian teacher educators' perspectives and dispositions toward teaching about ecological sustainability issues in Malawi, a developing country in sub-Sahara Africa. This study was embedded in a larger theoretical framework of investigating earth systems science through the understanding of nature–knowledge–culture systems from local, place-based perspectives. Specifically, we were interested in learning more about eco-justice issues that are related to environmental degradation in Malawi and the potential role of inquiry-oriented pedagogies in addressing these issues. In a science methods course, the African educators' views on deforestation and teaching about ecological sustainability were explored within the context of the local environment and culture. Teachers participated in inquiry pedagogies designed to promote the sharing of perspectives related to the connections between culture and ecological degradation. Strategies encouraging dialogue and reflection included role-playing, class discussions, curriculum development activities, teaching experiences with children, and field trips to a nature preserve. Data were analyzed from postcolonial and critical pedagogy of place theoretical perspectives to better understand the hybridization of viewpoints influenced by both Western and indigenous science and the political hegemonies that impact sustainable living in Malawi. Findings suggested that the colonial legacy of Malawi continues to impact the ecological sustainability issue of deforestation. Inquiry-oriented pedagogies and connections to indigenous science were embraced by the Malawian educators as a means to involve children in investigation, decision making, and ownership of critical environmental issues. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Sci Ed90:660–680, 2006 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The best chance of eradicating the COVID-19 pandemic lies in a successful vaccination campaign against the virus. There is still hesitancy among some of the Malawians over the use of COVID-19 vaccines that are readily available. This review's objective was to currently analyze COVID-19 vaccination hesitancy among Malawians. Methods: This scoping review was conducted following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews. An electronic database search was performed using CINAHL, OVID Medline, PubMed, and Google Scholar for studies published between January 1, 2020, and July 10, 2023, on the topic of reluctance toward COVID-19 vaccine in Malawi. A review of the journal titles and abstracts was performed to establish a match within the selection criteria. Based on the parameters of interest, this paper included publications that explicitly mentioned COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy in Malawi. Results: A total of seven articles were identified as meeting the inclusion criteria. Some of the eligible Malawian population's poor response to COVID-19 vaccination was due to hesitancy. Misinformation is primarily to blame for COVID-19 vaccine reluctance. COVID-19 vaccines are viewed as dangerous or intended to cause harm such as the myth that the COVID-19 vaccine would cause infertility, severe disability, and even death. The review revealed that some people choose not to receive vaccines due to religious convictions and beliefs. Some individuals also think that getting the COVID-19 vaccine could result in receiving a triple-six (666) mark from the devil. There were also reports that the COVID-19 vaccination is being considered experimental and ineffective. Conclusions: The Malawi government should focus on fear and misinformation regarding COVID-19 vaccination campaigns, using interventions, motivational interviews, and individual sensitization. Traditional, religious, and youth-led organizations should provide practical information on COVID-19 vaccine safety and efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lean practice is recognised for having a great potential in promoting safety risk management in off-site construction (OSC). This paper presents results of a study conducted to assess the impact of lean practice on safety risk management in OSC in a developing country. A quantitative approach using a survey-based questionnaire was adopted. Lean management practices (LMPs) identified from a literature review were empirically tested using a sample survey of 103 OSC contractors. The survey responses were subjected to descriptive and inferential statistics. The top ranked LMPs for safety risk management in OSC included two mistake-proofing practices, i.e., use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and use of hazard warning equipment; two last planner system (LPS) practices, i.e., involvement of workers in safety planning and providing necessary working equipment; and one first run studies (FRS) practice, i.e., critical analysis of work methods. These LMPs are useful in controlling high-consequence safety risks in OSC. Based on evidence found in this study, the paper argues that lean practice can bring great value to safety risk management in OSC in countries where OSC is transitioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This proposed system introduces a dynamic coupon generation mechanism empowered by machine learning algorithms, particularly reinforcement learning, to enhance people's engagement and optimize coupon distribution in such a way that the coupon for the subsidy is given to farmers fairly by prioritizing those in need. This process involves key stages, including data gathering, preprocessing, feature enhancement, and autonomous decision-making logic development, taking into account diverse factors such as farmer segments and budget constraints. The system interacts with HTML, PHP, CSS, and JavaScript, with Python supporting the implementation. This paper aims to continuously adapt the model to meet evolving customer behaviors and preferences. This technological approach is essential for optimizing coupons effectively and staying responsive to real-time customer interactions and preferences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As organizations grow, so does the volume of records they produce when conducting their business with the resulting large customer base. Studies have established that all forms of organizations that do not have a well-coordinated records management system face a variety of risks and challenges that can collapse the business operations of these organizations. This qualitative study employs interview and observation guides to analyse records management practices at the Northern Region Water Board, a public organization in Malawi. Specifically, the study focuses on establishing records creation practices, records management strategies and the challenges that that affect records management. The study establishes that the institution creates both electronic and paper-based records. The electronic records are stored and preserved in a networked system called Enterprise Resource Planning; some are kept in free standing devices such as personal computers. Paper-based records are kept in files and folders locked in drawers and cabinets while some are kept on shelves. The institution faces four key challenges in managing its records namely, lack of management support, lack of records management skills, poor infrastructure and absence of formal policies, strategies and guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accessible Summary: What is known about the topic?: Mental health‐related problems in pregnancy are now becoming a global health concern. However, most studies have reported that midwives are unable to assess and support maternal mothers due to poor preservice education. The findings of these studies needed to be explored further from the available literature to address the gap. What does the paper add to existing knowledge?: The paper has identified maternal mental health core competencies and innovative clinical teaching strategies that nurse educators can utilize when supporting students theoretically and during clinical practice so that students should be adequately prepared for maternal mental health practice.Challenges and recommendations for clinical teaching were also identified. However, there are still gaps in the literature related to the effectiveness of teaching strategies to promote competence acquisition in maternal mental health. What are the implications for education?: The study results can be used by nurse educators to develop effective clinical teaching practices in maternal mental health care. The findings can be used in the development of best clinical teaching guidelines for maternal or perinatal mental health to be used by nurse educators for the undergraduate midwifery training programmes. Introduction: Maternal mental health problems are commonly experienced by women; however, they are usually not adequately recognized and treated by midwives in Malawi. Evidence suggests poor preservice education by nursing colleges which affects the development of essential maternal mental health competencies. Aim: The aim of the study was to review existing evidence on clinical teaching practices by nurse educators in teaching student midwives maternal mental health care. Method: Integrative review method was used, and various databases were searched. Out of 1768 articles, 27 research articles met the inclusion criteria. The critical appraisal skills programme checklist tools were used to assess data quality. Thematic analysis was done by comparing, grouping and integrating data. Results: Six themes emerged, namely: core maternal mental health competencies, professional regulation, interactive teaching strategies, collaborative partnerships, capacity building and shortage of resources. Discussion: Clinical teaching is an important aspect of midwifery education. Utilizing student‐centred teaching approaches helps students acquire competencies in maternal mental health care. Further research is required to identify the effectiveness of the clinical teaching methods. The Implication to Practice: The study results can assist nurse educators to provide comprehensive clinical teaching practices in maternal mental health care which will aid in the development of maternal mental health competencies among student midwives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: While the literature has highlighted the impacts of COVID-19, there is limited evidence on the gendered determinants of the impact of COVID-19 among small-scale rural traders in developing and emerging economies. Design/methodology/approach: Cross-border fish traders who had operated before and during the COVID-19 pandemic were interviewed in a survey conducted in Zambia and Malawi. Logistic regressions among male and female traders were employed to assess the gendered predictors. Findings: Heterogeneous effects in geographical location, skills, and knowledge were reported among male cross-border traders. Effects of household structure and composition significantly influenced the impact of COVID-19 among female traders. Surprisingly, membership in trade associations was associated with the high impact of COVID-19. Research limitations/implications: Due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the migratory nature of cross-border fish traders, the population of cross-border fish traders at the time of the study was unknown and difficult to establish, cross-border fish traders (CBFT) at the landing sites and market areas were targeted for the survey without bias. Originality/value: This paper addresses a gap in the literature on understanding gendered predictors of the impacts of COVID-19 among small-scale cross-border traders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between Africa and China is certainly gaining traction at the moment, and with this development it becomes imperative to examine the various facets that constitute what may arguably be Africa's most important relationship of the 21st Century. One facet among the many is that of inter-racialism. China's largescale direct contact with Blacks is a relatively recent occurrence, certainly not long enough for the Chinese to have formed their own definitive independent opinion of the Black race. However, as a result of China's increasing exposure to the Western world, this exposure comes with the baggage of centuries of Western denigration of Blacks through various kinds of media -- satellite tv, social media, magazines, newspapers, etc. that seek to exclude Blacks from the polity of human civilisations. According to Western measures of civilisation, the trajectory of civilisation has been the progression from pre-modernism (uncivilised), through modernism (Enlightenment), to post-modernism, this last being widely viewed as civilisation's apogee. A definitive precursor to the post-modern condition, and which also came to define its fervour and texture, is a branch of philosophy called "Existentialism". Adopting a post-colonial stance, and taking up the West on their offer of the trajectory of human civilisation, though clearly not the only one, what forms the core argument of the paper is that, as demonstrated by analyses of the local lores themselves, since time immemorial, Blacks, generally, and Malawians, in particular, have been capable of achieving such vaunted forms of introspection -- and more. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the potential of museums and cultural heritage centers in facilitating Sino- Malawi diplomacy. Studies elsewhere have shown that heritage plays an important role in diplomacy between nations. Desktop survey, interviews, exhibition analysis and archival research were used to collect data to determine the potential of museums and cultural heritage centers in diplomacy. The paper engaged with cultural diplomacy as its theoretical and analytical framework. This paper notes that lack of a centralized national museum in the Malawi's capital city, Lilongwe, and the lack of initiatives to engage community museums and local cultural heritage centers hinder efforts at cultural exchange which is crucial for promoting cultural diplomacy between China and Malawi. The paper argues that proper and adequate engagement with a national museum and cultural heritage centers have a potential to reinforce good relations between China and Malawi through cultural exchange framed as cultural diplomacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Compared to younger and older generation migrants, middle-aged migrants in the diaspora seem to be more conflicted regarding their belonging. This paper aims to explore how middle-aged migrants in the diaspora define themselves in space and time. Design/methodology/approach: The paper is based on ethnographic fieldwork done among Malawian migrants (herein referred to as Lydiatians) settled at Lydiate informal settlement in peri-urban Zimbabwe. Findings: The paper reveals that, while younger migrants have a "radical transnational stance", and older migrants regard their place of settlement as their final home, middle-aged migrants prefer to maintain a "strategic dual sense of place" regarding their place of settlement in the diaspora. These middle-aged migrants can be entrepreneurs considering their current settlement as a strategic place for petty commodity trading or those who find informal settlements to provide needed opportunities for cheap housing as the migrants pursue work in the nearby towns. Practical implications: The paper offers a deeper understanding of how middle-aged migrants navigate their sense of place and contribute to host nations by functioning as key resources, dynamizing local economies through entrepreneurial activities and labour provision for various industries. The implications of this research should encourage states to positively interact with migrants, leveraging their potential for societal and economic development. Originality/value: The finding that migrants in the diaspora have a dual, strategic view of their settlements is fascinating, if not new. Before this, scholars presented migrants as transnational figures, successively moving to a better place, which finally becomes home. However, the data presented in this paper suggests that this characterization associating migrants with maintaining a "stable, sedentary, bounded and fixed perception of home" is oversimplified. This is because migrants can sometimes continue to cherish the idea of informal settlements in the diaspora as home, just as the migrants also entertain the nearby established towns as useful places in their life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2016 WHO launched the priority assistive products list (APL) consisting of 50 products and recommended that using this as a reference, countries should develop their own contextually relevant national APLs. This paper describes the development of Malawi's APL. Two hundred and ninety-six persons with disabilities participated in a rapid Assistive Technology Assessment (rATA) survey. Six focus group discussions (FGDs) with people with various types of disabilities were conducted. The rATA questionnaire and FGDs collected data on assistive products (APs) participants used, APs they needed and the challenges they experienced. Data collection was done in six districts spread across the three regions in Malawi. All age groups were included in the survey. Persons with disabilities aged less than 18 participated but went with their guardians. All persons who participated in this study provided consent. Survey and FGDs results were presented at an APL consensus meeting with policymakers, service providers, disabled peoples' organizations and development partners in the disability sector. Based on the results and further discussions, a consensus was reached on the priority APs for Malawi. More than a third of respondents used wheelchairs (32%), followed by auxiliary crutches (25%), walking sticks (13%), reading glasses (11%), prosthesis (10%), elbow crutches (9%) and orthosis (8%). There is also a high demand for products such as pull-up underwear (incontinence products) (79%), hearing aids (70%), reading glasses (59%) and diapers (63%). After intensive discussions during a consensus meeting, an agreement was reached on the 22 priority APs for Malawi. There is a wide range of APs being used by people with different functional limitations in Malawi. There is also a demand for APs that are not readily available. When developing an APL, the list should include products in use, those in demand, and those recommended by service providers. Following the development of the priority assistive products list (APL) by WHO, member states should develop their own contextually based APL. The development of the APL should be based on research evidence. All key stakeholders including persons with disabilities and other functional limitations, government, and development partners should participate in this process. The APL should be part of the national health system or community services. The Department of Disability and Elderly Affairs in the Ministry of Gender, Community Development, being the Government of Malawi line ministry coordinating disability issues participated actively in this study including inviting participants in the stakeholders' validation workshop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: mHealth has increasingly been touted as having the potential to help Sub-Saharan Africa achieve their health-related sustainable development goals by reducing maternal mortality rates. Such interventions are implemented as one-way or two-way systems where maternal clients receive pregnancy related information via SMS. While such technologies often view the users (the maternal health client) as having agency to adopt, we know from pregnancy literature that the pregnancy experience in Africa and other developing countries is often more collective. In addition to the maternal health client, other members of the community have high stakes in the pregnancy, and this often affects maternal healthcare-seeking behavior. Objective: The aim of this paper, therefore, is to understand the pathways through which these other members of the community affect mHealth use. Methods: The study used a qualitative approach and a case study research design. We analyzed two mHealth cases from Kenya and Malawi. In the Kenyan case, maternal health clients had mobile phones to receive pregnancy-related messages, while in the Malawi case, maternal health clients did not have mobile phones. Data were collected through interviews and focus group discussions. The study used an inductive thematic analysis to analyze the data. Results: The findings show that maternal stakeholders form a community of purpose (CoP) that plays a crucial role in the implementation, uptake, and use of mHealth. The CoP influences maternal health clients through a diverse range of mechanisms ranging from sensitization, bridging the digital literacy gap and legitimization of the intervention. The nature of influence is largely dependent on the contextual socio-cultural nuances. Conclusion: Our results provide useful insights to mHealth implementers to know how best to leverage the CoP for better mHealth uptake and usage. For example, engaging healthcare providers could champion adoption and use, while engaging other family-related stakeholders will ensure better usage and compliance, encourage behavior change, and reduce mHealth attrition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates how global misinformation and local cultural factors shape public perceptions of COVID-19 in Malawi. While misinformation about the pandemic often originates from global sources like the Internet and social media, its impact is influenced by religious and cultural narratives that resonate differently across various demographics, including gender. These 'cultural determinants' amplify the influence of misinformation, leading to widespread vaccine hesitancy. The paper draws on findings from a study conducted in the Malawian districts of Zomba, Dowa, and Nkhata Bay. The study reveals how religious prophecies and apocalyptic symbols, such as the '666' mentioned in the biblical Book of Revelation, are used to frame vaccines as malevolent, distorting public understanding and fuelling fears about COVID-19. The role of social media in spreading misinformation is particularly significant, given its ability to quickly disseminate content and engage users as both consumers and creators of information. Despite limited internet access in Malawi, misinformation spreads effectively through offline spaces, where cultural beliefs and mistrust in political leaders further propagate it. This study highlights the need for culturally sensitive public health communication strategies to address the fears and beliefs that drive misinformation and vaccine hesitancy in Malawi and similar contexts. Although misinformation and vaccine hesitancy are global challenges, the study highlights that misinformation in Malawi is culturally specific, localised, and appeals to fears, with distinct resonance across the male-female gender divide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual reality (VR) is a promising new educational and training tool in the field of disaster and emergency management, especially for hazards that are not frequent or well known to the public and require spatial and situational understanding. The objective of this paper is to describe an educational VR simulation that was developed based on a landslide that really occurred in Southern Malawi during the March 2023 Cyclone Freddy. The cyclone induced several landslides that caused many casualties and significant damage. The VR simulation framework consisted of four critical steps using Unity3D for the creation of the simulation including data preparation, terrain and environmental modeling, landslide simulation development, and virtual reality interactions. The simulation scenarios were diversified to include three distinct landscapes that can help users learn how factors such as terrain can influence landslide impacts. The VR simulation offers users an intimate, firsthand experience of the landslide's unfolding and allows users the ability to explore various facets of the landslide phenomena. This VR simulation aims to provide an educational tool to facilitate an in-depth understanding of and interaction with a real-word landslide to learn about the impacts of landslides and how different factors can influence these impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The persistence of corruption in Malawi is well documented as are its heinous effects. Malawi's response to combating corruption has involved the adoption of legislation and the establishment of a dedicated agency for dealing with the vice. These efforts notwithstanding, the fight against corruption continues to be a lopsided undertaking with the country registering negligible commendable progress while reports of serious corrupt practices are a regular occurrence. Corruption in Malawi, arguably, has become systemic. Corruption seems particularly rife in the realm of public procurement. This paper posits that while the law may commonly be invoked in aid when tackling corruption, it is important to critically reflect on its contribution in fostering and/or enabling corruption. By specifically focusing on the law on public procurement, the paper demonstrates that this regime of law, by containing ambiguous terms, giving public officials broad discretion, conferring public officials with overboard freedom to create subsidiary legislation or regulations, creating burdensome processes, having lacunas in regulatory or administrative procedures, and giving certain groups preferential treatment during procurement processes motivates, enables and creates opportunities for corruption. As a possible solution, the paper proposes that Malawi should adopt corruption proofing of legislative enactments as an ex ante mechanism for dealing with corruption to supplement investigations and prosecutions, which are ex post facto procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Health in low-income countries has become associated with the provision of minimum guaranteed public health services though Essential Health Packages (EHPs). How far do EHPs deliver the human right to health for all? This study addresses this question through qualitative research into access to health care for vulnerable communities, using Malawi as a case study. This study shows that there are significant accountability gaps and perceptions of weak service provision in Malawi's EHP in relation to some particularly marginalised (and stigmatised) groups that limit the right to health and the promise of "health for all". Design/methodology/approach: This study extends the body of qualitative work on EHPs in general and on Malawi in particular by exploring the perceptions of key stakeholders in relation to inclusivity and the delivery of health policies to particularly vulnerable groups. To do so, this study adopted an approach based on interpretive epistemologies (Scott, 2014). This study conducted largely unstructured interviews with a range of health stakeholders, speaking to stakeholders individually, rather than through focus groups due to the potentially sensitive nature of the topic. Findings: The findings of this study are as follows: limited inclusion of civil society actors and local communities; local communities and local policymakers feel frustration with the gap between the promises of consultation in the EHP and the reality, and the difficulties of not having effective channels of communication; and exclusionary health practices for particularly vulnerable groups. Research limitations/implications: There are limitations based on the qualitative methodology, and in terms of the particularly vulnerable groups – the authors studied two such groups (people with disabilities and those who identify as LBTQ) but a wider survey of vulnerable groups is needed to extend and confirm the findings. Practical implications: Greater attention to the health rights of vulnerable groups would improve access and services, even in the context of resource restrictions. This study suggests that a deeper engagement with human rights-based approaches would pay dividends in terms of increasing access to health in Malawi, even within the constraints of the EHP process. Furthermore, without this, there is the risk that discrimination and exclusion will become more embedded in health policies, rather than progressively minimised. Social implications: Without addressing these issues, there is the risk that discrimination and exclusion will become more embedded in health policies, rather than progressively minimised. Originality/value: This paper makes an important contribution to the growing literatures on EHP in sub-Saharan Africa and Malawi in particular and to the importance of listening to stakeholder perceptions. It provides original data on stakeholder perspectives of the challenges associated with universalising health care in resource-constrained countries. To the best of the authors' knowledge, it is one of the first papers to focus on the rights of disabled and LBTQ people in relation to EHPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article discusses the growing attention and research activity surrounding early grade mathematics (EGM) in South Africa and Malawi. The introduction of curriculum reforms and policy-linked interventions, such as the Teaching Mathematics for Understanding model and the Primary Teacher Education initiative, have led to increased research in this field. The article highlights the importance of foundational understandings of mathematics in addressing low performance in the subject. It also examines different approaches to EGM research, including large-scale interventions and projects that engage with the mathematics education literature base. The article concludes by emphasizing the need for ongoing attention to both larger-scale and smaller-scale intervention studies in order to improve mathematical outcomes. [Extracted from the article]

The ESCOM (Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi) currently faces difficulties in monitoring and controlling critical parameters, such as electricity generation, transmission, and distribution in real-time. Inefficient energy management, lack of fault detection mechanisms, manual interventions, and limited data-driven decision-making capabilities are hindering ESCOM's ability to deliver reliable and efficient electricity services to the people of Malawi. The main objective of this work is to address the pressing challenges faced by ESCOM (Electricity Supply Corporation of Malawi) in effectively managing and optimizing electricity distribution within their infrastructure. This paper introduces an IoT-based industrial management system designed to tackle these challenges and enhance ESCOM's operational efficiency, energy management, and overall performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malawi struggles with youth access to higher education. Up to 60% of eligible university candidates may not be accepted, while less than 1% of Malawi's qualified cohort get enrolled in some form of tertiary education. This paper reveals youth's experiences in alternative higher education programs and show if the programs align with their aspirations, prepare them for lives that they have a reason to value and enhance their wellbeing. The broader Ph.D. study from which this paper stems used a qualitative case study based on the views of youth from a selected NGO. Limited explorations and knowledge on whether alternative higher education programs offered by NGOs for youth who fail to access university in Malawi meet the youth's aspirations; the paucity of such studies in Malawian higher education necessitated empirical research on this topic. The paper uses the capabilities approach as a conceptual framework to refine it within higher education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Programme Science (PS) and community‐led monitoring (CLM) intersect in unexpected and promising ways. This commentary examines a CLM initiative in Malawi and South Africa to highlight the crucial role of CLM in bolstering the PS framework. By leveraging data sources often overlooked by conventional research and evaluation approaches, CLM emerges as a pivotal element in enhancing programme effectiveness. This paper delineates the fundamental principles of CLM, presents programme outcomes derived from CLM methodologies and contextualizes these findings within the broader framework of PS. Discussion: The Citizen Science Project implements CLM continuously at 33 health facilities: 14 in Malawi (eight in Kasungu District and six in Dedza District), and 19 in South Africa (all in the West Rand District), representing a total catchment area of 989,848 people. Monitoring indicators are developed in an iterative process with community groups. The indicators are unique to each country, but both focus on the uptake of health services (quantitative) and barriers to access (qualitative). Monthly clinic records surveys capture 34 indicators in Malawi and 20 in South Africa and are supplemented by qualitative interviews with care recipients and healthcare workers. Qualitative interviews provide additional granularity and help confirm and explain the more macro trends in service coverage as described in quantitative data. The resulting data analysis reveals key themes that help stakeholders and decision‐makers to solve problems collaboratively. Noteworthy outcomes include a substantial increase in multi‐month dispensing of antiretroviral therapy (ART) during COVID‐19 (from 6% to 31%) with a subsequent recovery surpassing of HIV service benchmarks in Malawi post‐pandemic. Conclusions: While quantifying direct impact remains challenging due to the project's design, CLM proves to be a robust methodology that generates credible data and produces impactful outcomes. Its potential extends beyond the health sector, empowering community leadership and fostering interventions aligned with community needs. As CLM continues to evolve, its integration into PS promises to improve relevance, quality and impact across diverse disciplines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, rural conditions are in states of change. They are often highly vulnerable to climate and environmental change, extreme weather events, conflict, socio-economic changes, inequalities, and demographic changes. These changes are putting stress on rural areas, which rely upon agriculture and natural resources for their livelihoods and are often the foundation of national economies. Communication for development (C4D) has played an important role in addressing these challenges. Its thinking is broadly consistent with rural development goals—indeed, the roots of C4D come in part from rural development and agricultural extension. Communication for development (C4D) was defined by the World Congress on Communication for Development as "...a social process based on dialogue using a broad range of tools and methods. It also seeks change at different levels, including listening, building trust, sharing knowledge and skills, building policies, debating, and learning for sustained and meaningful change. It is not public relations or corporate communications". However, after decades of action to address these interrelated rural development challenges, much remains to be done. This paper critically considers the following: What does inclusive rural development mean now, in light of environmental change, and how does this affect the conceptualisation and practice of C4D? This was done by using three countries as case studies: Malawi, Ukraine, and the Philippines. Each of these countries represented contrasting challenges and opportunities for rural development and environmental change, with lessons from their experiences shedding insight into the communication for development thinking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Malawi, there is a cadre of mid-level health workers called clinical officers (COs) who undertake duties conventionally performed by medical doctors in the wake of an acute shortage of the latter. This paper argues that excessive workload and long hours of work are psychosocial hazards at public hospitals in Malawi that contribute to occupational stress (OS) and burnout among COs. The study from which this paper is derived adopted a qualitative research design with a case study as a research strategy. The study was conducted at four district hospitals and one central hospital, which are state-owned in Malawi. This paper argues, firstly, that before the COVID-19 pandemic, COs experienced OS and burnout due to excessive workloads and long hours of work at public hospitals. Secondly, the COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the problem of excessive workloads and long hours of work at public hospitals. Thirdly, OS and burnout among COs are associated with various impacts that can be categorised as psychological consequences and physical consequences. The psychological and physical consequences of OS and burnout are manifestations of poor quality of life among COs, which ultimately negatively affects public health. Finally, this paper recommends formulating and implementing comprehensive occupational safety and health (OSH) policies at public hospitals. Among others, these OSH policies should provide frameworks for regularly assessing the impact of OSH hazards on the mental health of hospital staff and then informing the development of appropriate measures for mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents a small survey on Punjabi morphological analyzer and generator, which does not give any morphological response to lexemes of Malawi dialect of Punjabi. This analyzer works well with the standard variety only. However, it fails to provide an answer when the input is colloquial. The random choice of approximately, (42 words/lexemes, e.g. ਕਾਤ/ੋਂ 'why', ਉਈਂ / 'thus', ਭ ੁੰਨਹੋਣਾ/'Unbearable', ਥ ੁੰਨੀ/'eating', ਅੜੀ/'stubborn', ਭਨਾਲੀ/'breaking', ਮੁੰਨਲਾ/'suppose', ਖਿਜੀ/'annoying' etc.) is not trained either for the analyzer nor the generator. They are unidentified and unrecognized. In this regard, the schemes of SGMA (similar guidelines for morphological analyzer) or SMGMA (similar but modified guidelines for morphological analyzer) could adopt for booming the performance of Punjabi morphological analyzer and widening its scope in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural markets remain major issue downgrading root and tuber crop farmers who form the mainstream of the agricultural producers in Malawi. Recent evidence however reveals that orange‐fleshed sweet potato (OFSP) (Ipomea batatas) is currently being sold in produce markets along with the non‐orange varieties, sometimes in differentiated form in Malawi. The main objective of this study was to examine factors affecting market participation of sweet potato farmers in southern region of Malawi. Using a double‐hurdle model, this paper analyzed both the factors affecting farmer decision to participate and the extent/intensity of participation in market. The first tier of the double hurdle focused on decision to participate in the market using probit model and the second tier addressed factors affecting intensity of participation using truncated normal regression model. The paper used data collected from 360 farmers in southern districts of Malawi. Out of 360, 146 farmers had grown OFSP in the season preceding the survey. Double hurdle results indicate that farm size, output, age of a farmer (household head), and early maturing trait significantly determined decision to participate in the market. Further, results on intensity of participation indicate that access to market training, farm size, asset value, and output positively determined the intensity and negatively determined by distance to main market and gender of a farmer (household head). Based on the research findings, higher output levels and early maturing trait were found to increase smallholder farmer market participation. It is therefore recommended that strategies aimed at increasing household capacity to produce surplus produce through market tailored extension messages and productivity enhancement technologies could be highly effective in fostering smallholders' participation in commercial markets. Again, enhanced capacity building of research institutions to breed sweet potato varieties based on market demand is pivotal for increased market participation. Furthermore, research suggests that improving smallholder farmers' access to market price information, asset value, and farm size can help increase their intensity in the market. Therefore, it is critical for policymakers to holistically comprehend these socioeconomic factors in order to address the issue of smallholder farm households' decisions about market participation and the degree to which they participate. Core Ideas: Orange fleshed sweet potato is currently being sold along with non‐orange varieties, sometimes in differentiated.Decision to participate in market is significantly influenced by output, farm size, age early maturing attribute.Market intensity is determined by access to training, distance to market, farm size, gender, asset value and output.Breeding programs should integrate both sensory and agronomic traits such as early maturity and good taste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sub-Saharan Africa is the region with the highest under-five mortality rate globally. Child healthcare decisions should be based on rigorously developed evidence-informed guidelines. The Global Evidence, Local Adaptation (GELA) project is enhancing capacity to use global research to develop locally relevant guidelines for newborn and child health in South Africa (SA), Malawi, and Nigeria. The first step in this process was to identify national priorities for newborn and child health guideline development, and this paper describes our approach. Methods: We followed a good practice method for priority setting, including stakeholder engagement, online priority setting surveys and consensus meetings, conducted separately in South Africa, Malawi and Nigeria. We established national Steering Groups (SG), comprising 10–13 members representing government, academia, and other stakeholders, identified through existing contacts and references, who helped prioritise initial topics identified by research teams and oversaw the process. Various stakeholders were consulted via online surveys to rate the importance of topics, with results informing consensus meetings with SGs where final priority topics were agreed. Results: Based on survey results, nine, 10 and 11 topics were identified in SA, Malawi, and Nigeria respectively, which informed consensus meetings. Through voting and discussion within meetings, and further engagement after the meetings, the top three priority topics were identified in each country. In SA, the topics concerned anemia prevention in infants and young children and post-discharge support for caregivers of preterm and LBW babies. In Malawi, they focused on enteral nutrition in critically ill children, diagnosis of childhood cancers in the community, and caring for neonates. In Nigeria, the topics focused on identifying pre-eclampsia in the community, hand hygiene compliance to prevent infections, and enteral nutrition for LBW and preterm infants. Conclusions: Through dynamic and iterative stakeholder engagement, we identified three priority topics for guideline development on newborn and child health in SA, Malawi and Nigeria. Topics were specific to contexts, with no overlap, which highlights the importance of contextualised priority setting as well as of the relationships with key decisionmakers who help define the priorities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Data on SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnancy and infancy has accumulated throughout the course of the pandemic, though evidence regarding asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection and adverse birth outcomes are scarce. Limited information is available from countries in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA). The pregnant woman and infant COVID in Africa study (PeriCOVID Africa) is a South-South-North partnership involving hospitals and health centres in five countries: Malawi, Uganda, Mozambique, The Gambia, and Kenya. The study leveraged data from three ongoing prospective cohort studies: Preparing for Group B Streptococcal Vaccines (GBS PREPARE), SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 in women and their infants in Kampala and Mukono (COMAC) and Pregnancy Care Integrating Translational Science Everywhere (PRECISE). In this paper we describe the seroepidemiology of SARS-CoV-2 infection in pregnant women enrolled in sites in Uganda and Malawi, and the impact of SARS-CoV-2 infection on pregnancy and infant outcomes. Outcome: Seroprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 antibodies in maternal blood, reported as the proportion of seropositive women by study site and wave of COVID-19 within each country. Methods: The PeriCOVID study was a prospective mother-infant cohort study that recruited pregnant women at any gestation antenatally or on the day of delivery. Maternal and cord blood samples were tested for SARS-CoV-2 antibodies using Wantai and Euroimmune ELISA. In periCOVID Uganda and Malawi nose and throat swabs for SARS-Cov-2 RT-PCR were obtained. Results: In total, 1379 women were enrolled, giving birth to 1387 infants. Overall, 63% of pregnant women had a SARS-CoV-2 positive serology. Over subsequent waves (delta and omicron), in the absence of vaccination, seropositivity rose from 20% to over 80%. The placental transfer GMR was 1.7, indicating active placental transfer of anti-spike IgG. There was no association between SARS-CoV-2 antibody positivity and adverse pregnancy or infancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper examines the politics and dynamics of the policy design and practical policy implementation realities of institutional transformation in a developing country context. The paper finds that there has been a mismatch between policy design templates of institutional transformation and the actual practice in terms of transformational implementation outcomes. Taking decentralisation reforms within the Ministry of Health in Malawi as a case study, the paper underscores that the contextual realities of institutional transformation in the country have been manifested by path dependence tendencies characterised by reproduction that takes shape in a contradictory fashion to the underlying institutional logics. The resultant policy of the reproduction and contradiction in terms of policy practice is institutional legitimacy crisis characterised by support from institutional entrepreneurs that are benefiting from positive feedback and increasing returns of the old institution, and challengers that regard the reproductions and contradictions as restrictive and mismatching institutional transformation design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper presents interview data from Malawian government representatives, trade unionists, employers and people with disabilities from the country's largest cities Lilongwe and Blantyre. Findings relate to the gap between the discourse of employers and government officials and that of workers with disabilities. Firstly, we find a policy‐based assumption of a formalised workforce that is not representative of the predominantly informal disabled workforce. Secondly, the disruptive, intermittent and often reactive nature of non‐governmental organisation (NGO) interventions can limit long‐term inclusivity agendas and undermine the work of disabled activists in Malawi. Lastly, we present findings on the stigmatised nature of disability in these urban centres. We find that stigma is economic: Urban workers with disabilities are discriminated against locally by employers, landlords and banks on assumptions they will not produce or earn enough to meet productivity demands, rent or repayment costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) requires effective changes in multiple sectors including education, economics, and health. Malawi faces challenges in attaining the SDGs in general, and specifically in the sanitation sector. This paper aims to describe the existing landscape within public universities in Malawi to build a framework for training a cadre of locally trained experts. This is achieved by reviewing science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) degree programmes and assessing the extent of inclusion of sanitation education. The historical compartmentalization of academic programmes has resulted in few programmes to build on. Deliberate investment is needed to build from the current STEM higher education landscape to an effective framework for training sanitation experts, especially female experts. For low-income countries such as Malawi, a cadre of ~17,600 locally trained sanitation experts may be needed, for which the current higher education landscape is not sufficient. Using the Centre of Excellence in Water and Sanitation at Mzuzu University in Malawi as a case study, this paper provides a model of sanitation education in low-income countries that: 1) provides an effective complementary contribution to delivering sanitation education; 2) links to overall SDGs, national policy, university goals, and localized needs; and 3) engages students, faculty, and communities in local research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, Indigenous and local understandings of the role of storytelling for children (nthanu) are contrasted with the didactic understandings of children's stories that permeate the formal education frameworks of Malawi; frameworks which are deeply entangled in a colonial and (post)colonial history. For Chitonga speakers, the majority of whom live in rural communities along the northern lakeshore of Malawi, nthanu form a crucial part of what might be considered 'education' – as core components in the construction of the social-self, these oral stories play a critical role in the onto-epistemological formation of the young person. This storytelling is seen as marginalised by formal school systems. Through thick ethnographic material, the paper shows how people who are part of the ethno-linguistic group of the Tonga understand the role of story-telling for children as creating ontological notions of what it means to be human, to live in this world, and the sociality of being human that is seen as necessary for living a good life. In an examination of villagers' fears about the disappearance of their stories, the paper locates the tensions between the literacy-oriented use of stories in formal schooling and the socio-ontological importance ascribed to stories in local learning modalities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the beginning of 2020, the world came to a stand‐still when governments across the globe decided to enter states of 'emergency' or 'disaster' over the breakout of the COVID‐19 pandemic. The responses to the pandemic included stringent movement restrictions and hygiene advice preventing face‐to‐face interactions. As a result, many activities, including schooling, working, and shopping were moved online, drastically increasing exposure to cyber threats and risks. It is unclear if and how the rapid increase in internet use corresponded to an improvement in cybersecurity mindset development in countries of the Southern African Development Community (SADC). This paper explores the effect of the increase in digital technology usage due to the COVID‐19 pandemic restrictions on the relationship between cybersecurity awareness‐raising initiatives and the development of higher levels of cybersecurity mindset in Botswana, Lesotho, and Malawi. These three countries have a similar cybersecurity footprint and an average cybersecurity capacity level for the region. The research applies a comparative multiple case study approach relying on a thematic review of the literature and related documents, supported by in‐depth interviews with purposefully selected key informants from the three selected SADC countries. Findings suggest that since the start of the COVID‐19 pandemic, awareness‐raising programs have gained some momentum in our selected countries, but the cybersecurity mindset has not improved. That was attributed to low frequency and poor quality of campaigns added to the lack of training, education and lived experience. The paper highlights the need to increase the frequency and improve the quality of programmes, for greater impact on the development of local cybersecurity mindsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While there has been overwhelming evidence of the importance of data use in health management, data use in Malawi's Health Management Information System remains low. This paper investigates how institutional dynamics are shaping data use in health management at the district level in Malawi Health Management Information System, focusing on four selected District Health Offices (DHOs). Methods: This qualitative study applied semi-structured interviews, active participant observations and document reviews to collect data at selected District Health Offices in Malawi. Results: The study findings have demonstrated that institutional dynamics' mechanisms shaping data use in health management at the district level are 1) District Health Office regulations and policy 2) organisational structures and partnership patterns 3) data management and data use, and 4) District Health Office collaboration with healthcare partner organisations in shared activities. These mechanisms provide an organisational context in which health managers' efforts deal rationally with constraints and uncertainty, resulting in a change process of established data use. While the Ministry of Health has stipulated regulatory policies to guide healthcare services delivery at District Health Offices, strong and supportive organisational leadership is crucial. The Ministry of Health's commitment to quarterly supervision visits motivates Directors of Health and Social Services at the District Health Offices. In turn, the District Health Officers provide supportive leadership in strengthening community-level organisation structures where data is collected for effective data use. The paper details how the definition of Programme Managers' norms, roles, behaviours, and inter-organisational interactive patterns, initiated a change process that led to improved data use at one District Health Office out of the four selected District Health Offices. The findings imply that, despite inadequate resources, these Programme Managers acted as a bridge between the District Health Office and the community level. Not only did the Programme Managers ensure that data was collected from the organisation structures at the community level but the Programme Managers also became a critical resource enabling timely District Health Management Team performance assessment data reviews at the District Health Office. District Health Management Team's performance assessment data reviews facilitated informed data use decision-making in planning and management of healthcare services delivery to the district health population. However, inadequate resources, weak community organisation structures, and lack of coordination and collaborations in shared activities and data use for sustainable healthcare organisation partnerships compromise effective data use in health management in most District Health Offices. Conclusion: The study argues for a well-articulated definition of the District Health Offices' policy guidance from the Ministry of Health in mapping healthcare partner organisations' activities to ensure effective data reporting across the districts. Not only will the effective data reporting result in collaboration and coordination of shared healthcare activities but also strengthen informed data use in healthcare services delivery to the district health population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the last decades, the study of how learners and teachers of mathematics use the resource of language has contributed to our understanding of mathematics teaching and learning in a variety of classrooms and cultures. Developmental work with mathematics teachers on the particular resource of mathematics teaching talk is more recent. In order to explore responses related to the importance of this talk, in this paper we consider three sites of practice in mathematics education—research, professional development and teaching—and illustrations of data from or about them, including studies from the literature, and work with secondary school mathematics teachers in Catalonia-Spain and Malawi around the teaching of angles. We argue that tensions permeate these sites of practice when a focus is placed on word use, specifically the practices of naming and explaining, in mathematics teaching talk. We conclude that the importance of mathematics teaching talk is construed through tensions with other resources in language and teaching. Tensions specifically appear in the realisation of mathematics teaching talk as mediational in the work with mathematics teachers on their classroom teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the efficacy of a development model designed to enhance social capital where social capital is seen as a catalyst to increased economic opportunities. The study covers smallholder livestock producers in Malawi and the Philippines. The key question examined in this paper is whether communities that received this specific development intervention significantly increased their access to social capital over time and whether this social capital is positively correlated with net farm income and improved livelihoods. We draw data from two case studies: Heifer International's Malawi Smallholder Dairy Development Project (MSDD1) and the Philippine Raising Income of Families through Sustainable Agri-Business Project (RICSA). The examination of these two cases increases our understanding of how implementation and contextual variables may influence changes in social capital and livelihoods. The study applies social network analysis (SNA) to understand the connection between asset-based/human capacity interventions and social capital. SNA provides a quantitative measure of networks and households' position within those networks as indicators of social capital. Real net income which includes the value of home consumption is used as a proxy for 'improved livelihoods.' A quasi-experimental design is used to determine whether social capital and income variables change significantly over time and whether social capital is correlated with income. The results revealed significant differences across the two cases. In the Malawi case, the intervention significantly contributed to social capital formation. In the Philippine case study, the social capital did not demonstrate a significant difference. The dissimilarity between the two cases shows that it takes time to deepen bonds of trust and reciprocity and to extend networks as conduits of knowledge, information and economic opportunity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To further reduce malaria burden, identification of areas with highest burden for targeted interventions needs to occur. Routine health information has the potential to indicate where and when clinical malaria occurs the most. Developing countries mostly use paper-based data systems however they are error-prone as they require manual aggregation, tallying and transferring of data. Piloting was done using electronic data capture (EDC) with a cheap and user friendly software in rural Malawian primary healthcare setting to improve the quality of health records. Methods: Audit and feedback tools from the Joanna Briggs Institute (Practical Application of Clinical Evidence System and Getting Research into Practice) were used in four primary healthcare facilities. Using this approach, the best available evidence for a malaria information system (MIS) was identified. Baseline audit of the existing MIS was conducted in the facilities based on available best practice for MIS; this included ensuring data consistency and completeness in MIS by sampling 25 random records of malaria positive cases. Implementation of an adapted evidence-based EDC system using tablets on an OpenDataKit platform was done. An end line audit following implementation was then conducted. Users had interviews on experiences and challenges concerning EDC at the beginning and end of the survey. Results: The existing MIS was paper-based, occupied huge storage space, had some data losses due to torn out papers and were illegible in some facilities. The existing MIS did not have documentation of necessary parameters, such as malaria deaths and treatment within 14 days. Training manuals and modules were absent. One health centre solely had data completeness and consistency at 100% of the malaria-positive sampled records. Data completeness and consistency rose to 100% with readily available records containing information on recent malaria treatment. Interview findings at the end of the survey showed that EDC was acceptable among users and they agreed that the tablets and the OpenDataKit were easy to use, improved productivity and quality of care. Conclusions: Improvement of data quality and use in the Malawian rural facilities was achieved through the introduction of EDC using OpenDataKit. Health workers in the facilities showed satisfaction with the use of EDC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The use of mobile health (mHealth) technology to improve quality of care (QoC) has increased over the last decade; limited evidence exists to espouse mHealth as a decision support tool, especially at the community level. This study presents evaluation findings of using a mobile application for integrated community case management (iCCM) by Malawi's health surveillance assistants (HSAs) in four pilot districts to deliver lifesaving services for children.Methods: A quasi-experimental study design compared adherence to iCCM guidelines between HSAs using mobile application (n = 137) and paper-based tools (n = 113), supplemented with 47 key informant interviews on perceptions about QoC and sustainability of iCCM mobile application. The first four sick children presenting to each HSA for an initial consultation of an illness episode were observed by a Ministry of Health iCCM trainer for assessment, classification, and treatment. Results were compared using logistic regression, controlling for child-, HSA-, and district-level characteristics, with Holm-Bonferroni-adjusted significance levels for multiple comparison.Results: HSAs using the application tended to assess sick children according to iCCM guidelines more often than HSAs using paper-based tools for cough (adjusted proportion, 98% vs 91%; P < 0.01) and five physical danger signs - chest in-drawing; alertness; palmar pallor; malnourishment; oedema (80% vs 62%; P < 0.01), but not for fever (97% vs 93%; P = 0.06), diarrhoea (94% vs 87%; P = 0.03), and three danger signs - not able to eat or drink; vomits everything; has convulsions (88% vs 79%; P = 0.01). Across illnesses and danger signs, 81% of HSAs using the application correctly classified sick children, compared to 58% of HSAs using paper-based tools (P < 0.01). No differences existed for their treatment (P = 0.27). Interview respondents corroborated these findings that using iCCM mobile application ensures protocol adherence. Respondents noted barriers to its consistent and wide use including hardware problems and limited resources.Conclusion: Generally, the mobile application is a promising tool for improving adherence to the iCCM protocol for assessing sick children and classifying illness by HSAs. Limited effects on treatments and inconsistent use suggest the need for more studies on mHealth to improve QoC at community level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Innovative interventions are needed to address the growing burden of breast cancer globally, especially among vulnerable patient populations. Given the success of Community Health Workers (CHWs) in addressing communicable diseases and non-communicable diseases, this scoping review will investigate the roles and impacts of CHWs in breast cancer screening programs. This paper also seeks to determine the effectiveness and feasibility of these programs, with particular attention paid to differences between CHW-led interventions in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) and high-income countries (HICs).Methods: A scoping review was performed using six databases with dates ranging from 1978 to 2019. Comprehensive definitions and search terms were established for 'Community Health Workers' and 'breast cancer screening', and studies were extracted using the World Bank definition of LMIC. Screening and data extraction were protocolized using multiple independent reviewers. Chi-square test of independence was used for statistical analysis of the incidence of themes in HICs and LMICs.Results: Of the 1,551 papers screened, 33 were included based on inclusion and exclusion criteria. Study locations included the United States (n=27), Bangladesh (n=1), Peru (n=1), Malawi (n=2), Rwanda (n=1), and South Africa (n=1). Three primary roles for CHWs in breast cancer screening were identified: education (n=30), direct assistance or performance of breast cancer screening (n=7), and navigational services (n=6). In these roles, CHWs improved rates of breast cancer screening (n=23) and overall community member knowledge (n=21). Two studies performed cost-analyses of CHW-led interventions.Conclusion: This review extends our understanding of CHW effectiveness to breast cancer screening. It illustrates how CHW involvement in screening programs can have a significant impact in LMICs and HICs, and highlights the three CHW roles of education, direct performance of screening, and navigational services that emerge as useful pillars around which governments and NGOs can design effective programs in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]