The Big Five in infant health are:
1. prematurity,
2. malaria,
3. HIV/AIDS,
4. diarrhea and nutritional problems, and
5. respiratory infections.
While in Malawi, Dr. Barbara Smith met with Catherine Gotani
Hara, Member of Parliament and Minister of Health.
Making Connections with Nursing
Leadership in Malawi
During recent trips, Smith sought out the
head of the University of Malawi Kamuzu
College of Nursing in Lilongwe. There she found
a well educated faculty led by the dynamic Dr.
Address Malata, who regards “Nursing as the
Heartbeat of Healthcare.”
The Big Five in women’s health are:
1. bleeding,
2. infections including HIV/AIDS,
3. prolonged labor,
On September 12, 2013, a General Agreement
for Academic Cooperation between Michigan
State University and the University of Malawi
Kamuzu College of Nursing was signed,
marking the beginning of a collaborative
exchange of faculty, students, educational
resources, and research.
One initiative is already underway. Smith has
shared a number of existing questionnaires,
known collectively as “Assessing Risk of
Exposure to Blood and Airborne Pathogens
and General Health.” Malata will use these with
Malawi’s nurses to assess their knowledge
of universal precautions, availability and use
of protective apparel, HIV stigma, general
health, violence in the workplace, and
workplace conditions that lead to higher risk
for transmission of bloodborne diseases.
Additionally, BSN to PhD fast-track student
Yenupini Joyce Tonlaar, will travel to Malawi
this summer to help women have healthy
pregnancies and deliveries. Her long-term goal
is to develop effective interventions to decrease
maternal mortality and morbidity both in the
U.S. and internationally.
IMPACTING LASTING CHANGE
Smith’s first trip to Africa was a life changer,
experiencing illness and poverty beyond
anything she had seen in her public health
work in the U.S. In her words, she was “bitten
by the bug to get involved.” Having worked
in many countries, she now plans to combine
her expertise with that of Malawi’s local
healthcare professionals who know their
situation best. She describes her approach:
“I’m the expert in this; you’re the expert in
that. Together we can solve this problem.”
She learns far more from them than she
teaches, observing, for example, how nurses
there assess people, look for symptoms, and
spot a troubled labor—all without the medical
equipment available in the U.S. Lasting
change is best achieved with a collaborative
approach to nursing research, safety, and
capacity. Nurse educators and care providers
here and in Malawi are working together to
prepare effective care professionals.
Malawi Country Profile
Population
Life Expectancy
313,085,000
Malawi
1 per
58
15,905,000
United States
Physicians
79
50,000
Nurse/Midwife
1 per
413
1 per
2,941
1 per
102
Maternal Mortality Rate
460
out of
100,000
21
out of
100,000
AFRICA PARTNERSHIPS—MALAWI
Through this outreach, the two nursing
leaders discovered they have expertise
to share. During her visit to MSU, Malata’s
inspirational presentations painted a picture of
the healthcare challenges she aims to eradicate.
Noting that many people come to Malawi to see
the “Big Five” wild animals—lions, elephants,
leopards, rhinos and water buffalo—she
reframed the Big Five with a compassionate
focus on women’s and infant health.
Taking the First Step toward Collaboration
The 2006 World Health Report found
that sub-Saharan Africa has 11% of the
world's population and carries 25% of the
global disease burden. Yet the region has
only 3% of the global health workforce
and accounts for less than 1% of health
expenditures worldwide.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF NURSING • NURSING.MSU.EDU
4. anemia, and
5. malaria
Source: World Health Organization Health Profiles for Malawi and the United States, reflecting data ranging from 2005 to 2013
45