Prevalence and Associated Factors of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease Among Adults in Neno District, Malawi: A Cross-Sectional Analytical Study.

Introduction: Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) continues to pose a global public health challenge. However, literature is scarce on the burden of COPD in Malawi. We assessed the prevalence and risk factors for COPD among adults in Neno, Malawi.

Evaluating the uptake and effect of Surgical Safety Checklist implementation in a rural hospital, Neno District, Malawi.

Background: The WHO introduced the Surgical Safety Checklist (SSC) in 2008, which has been proven to enhance collaboration and patient safety before, during and after surgical procedures. However, the impact of using SSC has not been assessed in a rural setting in Malawi. We aimed to evaluate the uptake of SSC in Neno District, Malawi.

COVID-19-Related Testing, Knowledge and Behaviors among Severe and Chronic Non-Communicable Disease Patients in Neno District, Malawi: A Prospective Cohort Study.

COVID-19-related knowledge and behaviors remain essential for controlling the spread of disease, especially among vulnerable patients with advanced, chronic diseases. We prospectively assessed changes over 11 months in COVID-19-related testing, knowledge, and behaviors among patients with non-communicable diseases in rural Malawi using four rounds of telephone interviews between November 2020 to October 2021. The most commonly reported COVID-19-related risks among patients included visiting health facilities (35-49%), attending mass gatherings (33-36%), and travelling outside the district (14-19%).

Adoption of mHealth Technologies by Community Health Workers to Improve the Use of Maternal Health Services in Sub-Saharan Africa: Protocol for a Mixed Method Systematic Review.

Background: Studies have shown that mobile health technologies (mHealth) enhance the use of maternal health services. However, there is limited evidence of the impact of mHealth use by community health workers (CHWs) on the use of maternal health services in sub-Saharan Africa.

Objective: This mixed method systematic review will explore the impact of mHealth use by CHWs on the use of the maternal health continuum of care (antenatal care, intrapartum care, and postnatal care [PNC]), as well as barriers and facilitators of mHealth use by CHWs when supporting maternal health services.

Prevalence and correlates of internalized stigma among adults with HIV and major depressive disorder in rural Malawi.

Internalized stigma is common among individuals with sexually transmitted infections such as HIV and among those with mental health conditions such as major depressive disorder (MDD). As part of a cluster randomized trial, we investigated the prevalence and correlates of internalized stigma among adults living with comorbid HIV and MDD in rural Malawi (n = 339). We found heightened stigma toward HIV and mental illness among those in the cohort: more than half of respondents (54%) endorsed negative perceptions associated with each health condition.

Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccines among Patients with Complex Non-Communicable Disease and Their Caregivers in Rural Malawi.

Current low COVID-19 vaccination rates in low- and middle-income countries reflect an inequitable global vaccine distribution; however, local attitudes towards the COVID-19 vaccine are an important factor to meet vaccination benchmarks. We describe attitudes toward the uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and perceptions among patients with NCDs and their caregivers using cross-sectional data collected through telephone interviews in Neno, Malawi. Out of 126 survey respondents, 71% were patients, and 29% were caregivers.