Community Based MDR in Malawi

The following is part of a series of project updates from MaiMwana. MHTF is supporting their project, Community Based Maternal Death Review. More information on MHTF supported projects can be found here.

Written by: MaiMwana

The community focused maternal death review (MDR) programme started in May 2010 in Mchinji, Malawi. Some of our preliminary activities have focused on building relationships necessary for carrying out the project. We met with the district health office in order for them to appreciate need to complement the health facility based maternal death review currently being implemented in the district.

The district health office identified several focal people to be part of the team. The team then had a study tour to Ntcheu and Lilongwe Districts, districts which had started an initiative similar to our planned project, in order to learn and adopt tools being used in those districts. This was followed by development of some of the manuals and tools we will use in our project.

Sensitization of the District Executive Committee was also done in order to solicit support before starting the activity in the community. We are currently awaiting the outcome of the review process and the beginning of our piloting.