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BACKGROUND: Globally, use of herbal medicine during pregnancy and labour is often associated with adverse obstetric outcomes such as uterine rupture and fetal distress. However, in rural Malawi, information on the perceptions of women about the use of herbal medicine during pregnancy and labour is underreported despite the practice. Understanding women's views and perceptions on use of herbal medicine during pregnancy and labour is therefore critical for understanding the basis of their practice and for setting up maternal and neonatal health care interventions to alleviate any possible pregnancy and labour complications. AIMS: To explore the perceptions of women on the use of herbal medicine during pregnancy and labour in rural Malawi. METHODS: We employed a qualitative descriptive (QD) study on the purposively identified participants (women with parity [Formula: see text]), residing in four villages (Kagona, Champsinja, Mthupi and Manja) of Traditional Authority Malili, in Lilongwe rural district, Malawi. Qualitative data was collected through four Focus Groups of 6-8 women in each group that were conducted in each village. Data analysis was performed inductively, using reflexive thematic analysis approach. RESULTS: A total of 28 women of reproductive age 20 and above; 20-24 (32.14%), married (75%), average of 3 deliveries (57.14%), primary school education (75.0%), and Christians (92.86%) were recruited and interviewed. Two main themes emerged from the narratives: (1) perceived benefits of using herbal medicine: (i) hastens labour, (ii) prevents pregnancy complications and (iii) prevents and treats illnesses, and (2) perceived risks of using herbal medicine: (i) perceived maternal risks, (ii) perceived fetal risks. CONCLUSION: In rural Malawi, the practice of using herbal medicine during pregnancy and labour is perceived as both risky and beneficial to women. These perceptions are shaped by the exposure to either personal or other people's experiences, hence the continued practice. Therefore, inclusion of health education topics on maternal complications due to use of herbal medicine among women can help reduce maternal and neonatal mortality rates in rural Malawi. Further research is also warranted to explore accessibility and community pathway systems for herbal medicine use during pregnancy and labour among the pregnant women.

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BACKGROUND: People living with HIV/AIDS and their informal caregivers (usually family members) in Malawi do not have adequate access to patient-centered care, particularly in remote rural areas of the country because of the high burden of HIV/AIDS, coupled with a fragmented and patchy health care system. Chronic conditions require self-care strategies, which are now promoted in both developed and developing contexts but are still only emerging in sub-Saharan African countries. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to explore the effects of the implementation of a short-term intervention aimed at supporting informal caregivers of people living with HIV/AIDS in Malawi in their caring role and improving their well-being. The intervention includes the dissemination of 6 health advisory messages on topics related to the management of HIV/AIDS over a period of 6 months, via the WhatsApp audio function to 94 caregivers attending peer support groups in the rural area of Namwera. METHODS: We adopted a community-based participatory research approach, whereby the health advisory messages were designed and formulated in collaboration with informal caregivers, local medical physicians, social care workers, and community chiefs and informed by prior discussions with informal caregivers. Feedback on the quality, relevance, and applicability of the messages was gathered via individual interviews with the caregivers. RESULTS: The results showed that the messages were widely disseminated beyond the support groups via word of mouth and highlighted a very high level of adoption of the advice contained in the messages by caregivers, who reported immediate (short-term) and long-term self-assessed benefits for themselves, their families, and their local communities. CONCLUSIONS: This study offers a novel perspective on how to combine community-based participatory research with a cost-effective, health-oriented informational intervention that can be implemented to support effective HIV/AIDS self-care and facilitate informal caregivers' role.

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Mental disorders have the potential to affect an individual's capacity to perform household daily activities such as water, sanitation, and hygiene (food hygiene inclusive) that require effort, time, and strong internal motivation. However, there is limited detailed assessment about the influence of mental health on food hygiene behaviors at household level. We conducted a follow-up study to detect the effects of mental health on food hygiene behaviors after food hygiene intervention delivery to child caregivers in rural Malawi. Face-to-face interviews, based on the Risk, Attitude, Norms, Ability, and Self-regulations (RANAS) model, were conducted with 819 participants (control and intervention group) to assess their handwashing and food hygiene-related behaviors. Mental health was assessed using the validated Self-Reporting Questionnaire. Study results showed a significant negative relationship between mental health and handwashing with soap behavior (r = -0.135) and keeping utensils in an elevated place (r = -0.093). Further, a significant difference was found between people with good versus poor mental health on handwashing with soap behavior (p = 0.050) among the intervention group. The results showed that the influence of the intervention on handwashing with soap behavior was mediated by mental health. Thus, integration of mental health in food hygiene interventions can result in improved outcomes for caregivers with poor mental health.

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Lipid-based nutrient supplements (LNS) have been found to improve child growth and reduce child mortality. However, the mechanistic pathways for these improvements warrant exploration. One potential pathway is linked to improvement in intestinal health. Our study aimed to test a hypothesis that small-quantity LNS (SQ-LNS) could reduce the levels of intestinal inflammation, repair and permeability of children. As intestinal health markers we measured fecal calprotectin, regenerating 1B protein (REG1B) and alpha-1-antitrypsin concentrations at 18 months of age (after 12 months of supplementation) and 1 year later (12 months after cessation of supplementation). In this analysis, we included data of 735 children who participated in a randomised dietary supplementation trial in rural Malawi; 243 children who received 20 g/day SQ-LNS from 6 to 18 months of age were in the SQ-LNS group, while the others who received no dietary supplementation during this period were in the control group. At 18 months of age, the mean concentrations of calprotectin, REG1B and alpha-1-antitrypsin were 241, 105 µg/g and 7.1 mg/dl, respectively, in the SQ-LNS group, and 224, 105 µg/g and 7.4 mg/dl, respectively, in the control group, and did not differ between the SQ-LNS and control groups. We conclude that SQ-LNS provision did not have an impact on children's intestinal health in rural Malawi.

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AIM: This study was designed to determine whether faecal regenerating 1B protein (REG1B) concentration is associated with physical growth among 6-30-month-old children in rural Malawi. METHODS: This was a secondary analysis from a randomised controlled trial in rural Malawi in which we followed-up 790 live-born infants from birth to 30 months of age. We collected anthropometric data at the age of 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30 months. We measured faecal REG1B concentration by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique using stool samples collected at 6, 18 and 30 months of age. We assessed the association between faecal REG1B concentration and children's physical growth using linear regression and longitudinal data analysis. RESULTS: Of 790 live-born infants enrolled, 694 (87%) with at least one faecal REG1B concentration measurement were included in the analysis. Faecal REG1B concentration was not associated with the children's concurrent length-for-age z-score (LAZ), weight-for-age z-score (WAZ), weight-for-length z-score (WLZ) and mid-upper arm circumference-for-age z-score (MUACZ) at any time point (P > 0.05), nor with a change in their anthropometric indices in the subsequent 6-month period (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Faecal REG1B concentration is not associated with LAZ, WAZ, WLZ and MUACZ among 6-30-month-old infants and children in rural Malawi.

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BACKGROUND: Malaria is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among children under 5 years in Malawi, and especially among those from rural areas of central Malawi. The goal of this study was to examine the prevalence and determinants of malaria infection among children in rural areas of Dowa district in central Malawi. METHODS: A multistage, cross-sectional study design was used to systematically sample 523 child-mother dyads from postnatal clinics. A survey was administered to mothers and a rapid malaria infection diagnostic test was administered to children. The main outcome was positive malaria diagnostic tests in children. Logistic regressions were used to determine risk factors associated with malaria among children aged 2 to 59 months. RESULTS: The prevalence of malaria among children under 5 years was 35.4%. Results suggest that children of mothers who experienced recent intimate partner violence (IPV) were more likely to be diagnosed with malaria (AOR: 1.88, 95% CI 1.19-2.97; P = 0.007) than children of mothers who did not. Children of mothers who had no formal education were more likely to be diagnosed with malaria (AOR: 2.77, 95% CI 1.24-6.19; P = 0.013) than children of mothers who had received secondary education. Children aged 2 to 5 months and 6 to 11 months were less likely to be diagnosed with malaria (AOR: 0.21, 95% CI 0.10-0.46; P = 0.000 and AOR: 0.43; 95% CI 0.22-0.85; P = 0.016, respectively) than children aged 24 to 59 months. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of malaria infection among children in the study area was comparable to the national level. In addition to available malaria control programmes, further attention should be paid to children whose mothers have no formal education, children aged 24 to 59 months, and children of mothers that are exposed to IPV in the area.

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In Malawi, 41% of women aged 15 to 49 report ever experiencing intimate partner violence (IPV). Although there is evidence of the pervasiveness of IPV in Malawian society, the context in which it occurs and how women respond is not well described. The purpose of this study was to describe experiences of IPV of rural Malawian women. In-depth interviews were conducted with 55 rural Malawian women aged 21 to 75 years (M = 39) as part of a larger, mixed-methods study. This qualitative thematic analysis highlights husbands' IPV against wives and women's actions to protect themselves and their children, and to thrive despite the violence. Our use of a postcolonial feminist perspective led us to acknowledge Malawian women's acts of resistance in the midst of the harsh realities of IPV and gender inequality. We contend women's resilience and resistance against oppression within intimate relationships are critical tools in the process of reducing IPV. Structural interventions that (a) address the multiple distal and proximal factors affecting IPV, (b) are tailored to and owned by local populations, and (c) involve both men and women as architects and active participants, we believe, hold the greatest promise for reducing IPV in Malawi.

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BACKGROUND: Mental disorders, particularly depression and post-traumatic stress disorder, are common long-term psychological outcomes in emergency contexts arising from conflicts, natural disasters, and other challenging environmental conditions. In emergencies, people suffer not only from the lack of external resources such as drinking water and food but also from poor mental health. Mental disorders can substantially impair daily activities in vulnerable individuals. However, water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) behaviors are daily activities that require effort, time, and strong internal motivation. Therefore, questions arise: whether there is a relationship between mental health and safe water behaviors, and if so, whether the motivational drivers of these behaviors are affected by mental health. METHODS: Our cross-sectional study conducted face-to-face interviews with 638 households in rural Malawi. We used a quantitative questionnaire based on the risks, attitudes, norms, abilities, and self-regulation (RANAS) approach to measure motivational psychosocial factors. Mental health was assessed using the validated Chichewa version of the Self-Reporting Questionnaire (SRQ-20). RESULTS: Almost a third of the respondents reported poor mental health. We found significant negative association between mental health and self-reported safe water collection (p = .01, r = -.104) but not between safe water transportation and storage behavior. The moderation analysis revealed significant interaction effects of mental health with some psychosocial factors and therefore on WASH behaviors. Poor mental health changed the influence of three psychosocial factors-perceived others' behavior, commitment, and remembering-on safe drinking water collection behavior. The influence on water transportation and storage behavior of the perceived severity of contracting a disease, the belief that transporting and storing water requires substantial effort, and others' approval depended on the mental health condition of the respondent. CONCLUSIONS: These results imply that populations with a significant proportion of individuals with poor mental health will benefit from interventions to mitigate mental health before or parallel to behavioral change interventions for WASH. Specific population-level interventions have been shown to have a positive effect on mental well-being, and they have been successfully applied at scale. This research is especially relevant in emergency contexts, as it indicates that mental health measures before any WASH interventions will make them more effective.

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Investigating the factors that drive differences in preferences for health insurance products among rural populations is a relevant policy issue that has so far received little attention. This study used a discrete choice experiment to explore heterogeneity of preferences for a prospective micro-health insurance (MHI) product in Malawi. Through an extensive qualitative study, six attributes, each associated with three levels, were derived and used to construct a D-efficient design. The attributes included unit of enrollment, management structure, health service benefit package, copayment levels, transportation coverage and monthly premium. The experiment was interviewer administered to a stratified random sample of household heads and their spouse(s). Using mixed logit and generalized multinomial logit models, respondent characteristics were interacted with MHI attributes to explore heterogeneity of preferences. The results showed that those in the higher age group (≥55 years) and those from households with higher household expenditure had significantly higher preferences for comprehensive and medium benefit packages than for a basic package. Those from households that incurred any healthcare expenditure within the past 4 weeks had lower preferences for the core family as a unit of enrollment than the individual, and higher preferences for coverage of transport costs. Women and non-micro-finance members had higher preferences for 25% copayment than for 50% copayment. There was evidence of scale heterogeneity signifying that the observed preference variations could have resulted from scale and variance differences, rather than real variations in the taste of respondents. To attract the relatively older and wealthier, prospective MHI should offer comprehensive health services benefit packages. Premium exemptions or subsidies should also be offered to the poor. Lower copayments can provide an incentive for women and non-micro-finance members, whilst coverage of transport costs can also attract those with recent history of incurring out-of-pocket healthcare expenditure to accept MHI.

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HIV and AIDS, in resource-limited settings, contribute to increased maternal and infant mortality where such vital indicators are already high. In these settings, babies born to HIV-positive women continue to have added risks of acquiring HIV infection and dying from it before their fifth birthdays if no interventions are employed. Prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) is an international initiative whose implications within the local context need to be known. An operational research approach was adopted to study the demand and adherence of key components within the PMTCT Programme among women in rural Malawi. This study was carried out at Malamulo SDA Hospital in rural Malawi and employed the mixture of both quantitative and qualitative approaches. While the introduction of innovative policies in antenatal care (ANC) that has positive impact particularly on marginalised women's access to the services, negative effects are also inevitable. Marginalised women in resource-poor settings fail to deliver at the health facility due to lack of transportation, economic difficulties, gender inequalities, tradition and negative attitude of health workers. Integration of HIV testing and opt-out testing in ANC coupled with the introduction of free maternal care resulted in more women accessing maternal services and PMTCT services. It is as a result of this that institutional delivery facilitates increased adherence to antiretroviral prophylaxis and is supported by both women and the communities. The paper summarises the research conducted and elaborates on how it contributed to actions to improve staff attitude, increase male involvement in reproductive health care and discussions on how available resources can be maximised.