The Malawi team alongside students mobilized from Ethiopia, Rwanda and Uganda and the SPU’s sister universities in Kenya. These students are participating in a significant educational initiative aimed at enhancing research skills.
Over the course of two sessions, Dr. Chitsa Banda will be facilitating an important topic on research proposal writing. This collaborative effort underlines on the commitment to fostering academic excellence and promoting cross-border knowledge exchange.
The Enhancing Research Skills for Nurses and Midwives in Malawi workshop was held from September 16-17, 2024, at the Bridge View Hotel in Lilongwe, Malawi. Organized by Louis Ng’oma in collaboration with Global Research Nurses – The Global Health Network at Oxford University, and supported by PHIM research capacity building staff, the event aimed to address the research skills gap among nurses and midwives.
The workshop brought together 46 participants from various health institutions, offering comprehensive training on research methodologies, data management, grant proposal writing, and report writing. The hands-on sessions were designed to equip attendees with the essential tools and techniques for conducting high-quality research and making evidence-based decisions in healthcare. Participants had the opportunity to practice data entry and analysis using tools like DHIS2 and SPSS, significantly enhancing their practical skills.
The training was inaugurated by Dr. Evelyn Chitsa Banda, Deputy Director of PHIM’s Research Division, who encouraged ‘the nurses to actively engage in research, aiming to empower them, enhance patient care, and foster a culture of continuous learning and innovation.’
In a significant step towards sustainable development, the National Public Health Emergency Operations Centre of the Public Health Institute of Malawi (PHIM) now has sustainable power solutions. This initiative aims to improve preparedness of PHIM, ensuring uninterrupted power supply for critical health services and surveillance data management systems.
The introduction of solar power is expected to mitigate the challenges posed by frequent power outages, thereby improving the overall health service delivery in the region. The investment was supported by the Norwegian Institute of Public health who has a long standing collaboration with PHIM focusing on strengthening public health infrastructure and disease surveillance systems in Malawi. The procurement process of the solar panels was supported by a technical team from the Ministry of Energy.
Dr. Trude Arnesen, a senior doctor at NIPH seconded to PHIM, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “Reliable energy is crucial for the effective functioning of the emergency operating center. By providing solar power solutions, we aim to support PHIM in its mission to deliver quality health services to the people of Malawi.“
This project underscores the potential of renewable energy in transforming healthcare systems in developing countries.
How do you feel about this initiative? Do you think renewable energy could be a game-changer for other health sectors in Malawi as well?