Share research - Malawi

Outcome mapping and research into use: analysing monitoring data for effective strategies

shareadmin — Mon, 13 Jan 2020 15:33:06 +0000

This article by Balls and Nurova (2020) was published in Development in Practice. The paper analyses outcome mapping data to uncover effective strategies for engaging practitioners and policymakers with research projects. The project focuses on SHARE and the four countries it works in - Kenya, Malawi, Tanzania and Zambia. The article identifies three emerging themes: early engagement, using existing and new forums and seizing opportunities. It discusses the contextual difference and the relevance of outcome mapping methodology for research into use and is relevant for those seeking to engage and influence stakeholders with their research and programmes.

Download (1.39 MB) Marni Brennan Kenya Malawi Tanzania Zambia

Hygienic Family community dissemination brief

shareadmin — Fri, 20 Dec 2019 20:37:47 +0000

This leaflet was shared with research participants at a community event to disseminate the findings of the Hygienic Family project. Read our latest blog to find out how the local dissemination activities went.

Download (3.9 MB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Marni Brennan Malawi

Policy brief: Improved health and behaviour through integration of food hygiene and WASH

shareadmin — Mon, 02 Dec 2019 20:11:55 +0000

This policy brief details the findings of SHARE's Hygienic Family project conducted in rural Malawi. The brief discusses the findings of the food hygiene and WASH intervention and how policymakers and programme implementers can utilise the project in their work.

Download (384.51 KB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Marni Brennan Malawi

Drinking water quality and human dimensions of cholera patients to inform evidence-based prevention investment in Karonga District, Malawi

shareadmin — Wed, 16 Oct 2019 13:27:07 +0000

This paper by Kaponda et al. (2019) was published in Water Supply. Their study aimed to investigate drinking water source quality compared with water treatment, risk perception and cholera knowledge for patients who had reported to a health centre for treatment in the 2017-2018 outbreak in Karonga District Malawi. Nearly 82% of the samples met the national criteria for thermotolerant coliforms of 50 cfu/100 ml, while 50% met the more stringent World Health Organization criteria of 0 cfu/100 ml. In terms of the human dimensions, 68% of survey respondents reported that they treated their water, while knowledge of prevention, transmission and treatment of cholera was also generally high. However, of the 32 patients whose drinking water sources had thermotolerant coliforms of 200+ cfu/100 ml, seven reported they felt a low or no personal risk for contracting cholera in the future and their community was extremely well prepared for another outbreak. The cost of a reactive response to cholera outbreaks puts a burden on Malawi, providing an opportunity for investment in innovative and localized preventive strategies to control and eliminate the risk of cholera while acknowledging social and cultural norms.

Download (344.1 KB) Marni Brennan Malawi

Developing a Contextually Appropriate Integrated Hygiene Intervention to Achieve Sustained Reductions in Diarrheal Diseases

shareadmin — Tue, 17 Sep 2019 09:22:10 +0000

Morse et al. (2019) published this paper in the Sustainability journal. The article discusses formative research carried out to inform the development of an integrated intervention for WASH and food hygiene that aimed to reduce childhood diarrhea in rural Malawi. The researchers explored the personal, social, environmental and psychosocial factors that should be considered in the intervention. A mixed methods approach was used and data was collected from 1079 children between the ages of four to 90 weeks. Four key thematic areas were identified: hand washing with soap; food hygiene; feces management (human and animal); and, water management. The paper also describes the intervention to be delivered and evaluated.

Download (3.64 MB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Marni Brennan Malawi

Toward Complementary Food Hygiene Practices among Child Caregivers in Rural Malawi

shareadmin — Thu, 18 Jul 2019 10:55:13 +0000

Chidziwisano et al. (2019) published this paper exploring complementary food hygiene practices among child caregivers in rural Malawi in the American Journal of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. Preventable, foodborne diseases remain a global health challenge. Poor food hygiene practices are among the major causes of diarrhoea transmission. This paper details a formative study that was conducted in rural Malawi to inform an intervention design to promote complementary food hygiene practices. An assessment of contextual and psychosocial factors for behaviour change was conducted using Risk, Attitude, Norms, Ability, and Self-regulation model. Three behaviours were examined: washing utensils with soap, keeping utensil in a raised place and handwashing with soap.

Download (155.18 KB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Marni Brennan Malawi

Risk Factors Associated with Feeding Children under 2 Years in Rural Malawi – A Formative Study

shareadmin — Fri, 05 Jul 2019 13:10:59 +0000

Chidziwisano et al. (2019) published this research in the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. The paper discusses the formative research the team carried out in the risk factors associated with feeding young children in rural Malawi. This is a crucial area of research since these risk factors contribute to childhood diarrhoeal disease, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in under-fives in low income settings. This research was conducted in Chikwawa district, Southern Malawi from June to October 2017. It used a mixed methods approach to collect data from household surveys (n=323), checklists (n=31), structured observations (n=80) and microbiological food samples (n=20). These results offer new insights into poor hygiene practices, risk factors and transmission pathways leading to increased incidence of diarrhoeal disease.

Download (1.95 MB) Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Marni Brennan Malawi

Informally vended sachet water: handling practices and microbial water quality

shareadmin — Fri, 31 May 2019 14:46:22 +0000

Manjaya et al. (2019) published this paper in a special addition of Water: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene in Humanitarian Contexts. It explores the handling practices and microbial water quality of informally vended sachet water in Mwanza crossing into Malawi from Mozambique. The research sheds light on the common, but unregulated, use of hand-tied sachets of water in marginalized people. The research also examines the quality of the water and hygienic practices during packaging. Analysis of microbial concentrations in water from 76 vendors revealed that 75% of the water sources met WHO guidelines (<1 CFU/100 mL) for potable water. However, only 38% of water inside the sachets met these standards, indicating that packaging and handling processes had led to a sharp increase in contamination. The outside of the packages was also highly contaminated, which poses concern, since this the contact point with the consumer’s mouth and the water. The paper recommends hygiene education for vendors that focuses on filling and storage, refrigeration and use of sanitary coolers from which the bags are sold.

Download (486.55 KB) Marni Brennan Malawi

Applying outcome mapping to plan, monitor and evaluate policy influence; learning from the SHARE research consortium

shareadmin — Fri, 06 Jul 2018 14:23:27 +0000

SHARE has applied outcome mapping as an approach to plan, monitor and evaluate its research into use work. Outcome mapping (OM) is an iterative approach to project planning, monitoring and evaluation which seeks to identify, engage and work with the key stakeholders who are likely to help foster transformative change. This learning report documents SHARE’s OM experience and presents key areas of learning; resourcing OM, context and culture, analysing OM data, adaptive approaches and ways of working. It also makes recommendations for other implementers using OM or OM principles in programmes.

Download (605.2 KB) Emily Balls Kenya Malawi Tanzania Zambia

Behaviour Change for WASH: Policy Brief

shareadmin — Tue, 26 Jun 2018 15:35:12 +0000

Since 2010, the SHARE Consortium has prioritised behaviour change in WASH interventions, championing the importance of identifying novel and creative approaches to changing behaviours across many countries. This policy brief documents SHARE’s contribution to understanding behaviour change and associated health impacts. It provides recommendations for researchers and intervention implementers, policy makers and funders.

Download (473.23 KB) Choose Soap Integrating WASH and Food Hygiene in Malawi Mikono Safi Safe Start San-Dem SuperAmma Weaning Food Hygiene - Bangladesh Weaning Food Hygiene - Mali Weaning Food Hygiene - Nepal Weaning Food Hygiene - The Gambia Sophie Durrans Bangladesh India Kenya Malawi Mali Nepal Tanzania The Gambia Zambia