NEWS, REPORTS, EVENTS
The Paediatric & Child Health Association and Partners Launch Else Kröner Global Child Health Center in Malawi
The Paediatric & Child Health Association (PACHA), in collaboration with the Else Kröner-Fresenius Stiftung (EKFS), the Ministry of Health (MoH), Friede-Springer -endowed Professorship for Global Child Health at Witten/Herdecke University and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS) proudly announced the launch of the Else Kröner Global Child Health Center On March 24, 2025.
The newly established center has secured funding from March 2026 through December 2031. Its primary objective is to…
Developing Information Education & communication (IEC) materials for paediatric NCDs in Malawi
(Educational poster on childhood diabetes in the major national language Chichewa translation: Has your child been diagnosed with diabetes? Give your child’s medication as directed to keep her/him healthy.)
(Front and back of an information leaflet on paediatric NCDs in the major national language Chichewa)
As part of the process of developing Information Education & communication (IEC) materials for paediatric NCDs in Malawi, the Paediatric & Child Health Association (PACHA) in…
Annual In-Person Meeting in Blantyre
The PACHA core team together with the Germany counterparts conducted a technical meeting highlighting the EKC project progress in the second year of its implementation in Blantyre, Malawi from 17th to 21st April, 2023.
By Chifundo Mchawa, Project Manager
Annual Meeting in Blantyre 2026
Our core project members met in Blantyre for the annual in-person meeting. During the meeting, we reviewed our progress so far, discussed key achievements, and identified challenges we have faced. We also shared lessons learned to improve how we manage the project moving forward.
The team planned the remaining activities for 2026, including post-intervention data collection, re-broadcasting communication materials such as radio jingles and a TV program, preparing publications, and sharing…
Lancet highlights Malawi’s push on paediatric NCDs — EKC-backed “Umoyo wa ana athu” supports national rollout
A correspondence in The Lancet (14 Feb 2026) underscores the rising burden of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) among children in Malawi, noting that disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) in 0–14-year-olds nearly doubled between 2000 and 2021, mentions EKC
Finalization of patient mastercards
Paediatrics and Child Health Association has developed standard patient mastercards to improve how health facilities record and use patient information.
Second Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop on Paediatric Non-Communicable Diseases Conducted in November 2025
With funding from the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung, the Paediatrics and Child Health Association conducted the second session of a five-day Training of Trainers (ToT) programme on paediatric non-communicable diseases in Malawi.
Desk Review Manuscript Published
In September, we published our first paper, “Pathway to developing paediatric non-communicable disease guidelines in Malawi: a scoping review,” in BMC Health Services Research.
The paper presents the findings of a review of existing paediatric NCD guidelines across African countries. It examines their structure, scope, strengths, and limitations, with the aim of informing the development of our own national guidelines for childhood NCDs in Malawi.
The authors include the four guideline…
Training of Trainers (ToT) Workshop on Paediatric Non-Communicable Diseases Held in July 2025
In the beginning of July, we conducted a certified five-day Trainer of Trainers (ToT) training for Paediatric non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in Salima, where nurses, clinicians, and doctors working in ten pilot districts of our project.
Annual Conference of the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health 2025 in Gießen, Germany
Emmanuel Mphepo and our colleagues from the Friede-endowed Professorship for Global Child Health at Witten/Herdecke University participated in the 2025 Annual Conference of the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health, held in Giessen from 28 April to 7 May 2025.
From our project, Emmanuel Mphepo presented baseline M&E findings, highlighting successes and challenges in data collection and management and Megumi Nagase presented two posters regarding sigma around…
Finalization and endorsement of the guidelines
(Cover page of the child NCD guidelines. App version is also available from https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=mw.org.pacha.ncd_paeds_mw )
The Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials were developed through a structured six-step process to ensure compliance with national standards and approval by the Ministry of Health. Following development and pretesting, the materials were reviewed and vetted by the national Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance Technical…
Finalisation of Training of Trainers (ToT) Materials
From 30 November to 1 December, a three-day workshop was held at Game Haven Lodge near Blantyre to finalise the Training of Trainers (ToT) materials. The workshop brought together 10 participants (four women and six men), including members of the Paediatrics and Child Health Association (PACHA) project team and paediatricians from across the country.
Participants worked intensively and collaboratively to complete the training materials. The main outcome of the workshop was a comprehensive set…
Guidelines Development
In September, the Paediatrics and Child Health Association (PACHA) project team, together with paediatricians from across the country, met for a guideline finalisation workshop. Over several intensive sessions, the draft paediatric NCD guidelines were reviewed and refined page by page, resulting in a strong final working draft.
The draft guidelines were then presented to the Technical Working Group for Health Service Delivery at the Ministry of Health (MoH). The working group provided valuable…
Project Dissemination at Hospital Partnerships and Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung Conference
In April, we joined the Hospital Partnerships and Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) Partnership Conference in Lilongwe. Project representatives Prof Yamikani Chimalizeni, Dr Emmie Mbale, PD Dr Carsten Krüger, Prof Ralf Weigel, and Megumi Nagase delivered a poster presentation outlining the project’s background and current progress.
The presentation caught strong interest among participants from Malawi and Germany who are involved in a range of health initiatives across the country.
The…
Annual Visit to Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital
(Left to Right: Emmanuel Mphepo, Dr Emmie Mbale, Prof Elizabeth Molyneux, Chifundo Mchawa, Prof Yamikani Chimalizeni, Dr Jochen Bitzer, Pilirani Matale, PD Dr Carsten Krüger, Megumi Nagase)
In April, we had one week-long in-person meetings at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital.The meetings focused on consolidating plans for key project activities, including the finalisation and distribution of the printed guidelines, the integration of knowledge-check questions into the app, and the dissemination…
Midterm Audit and Annual Review Meeting
In April, the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) conducted a midterm audit for the Malawi – Else Kröner Child Health Project and the Paediatricians for Malawi Project. The audit forms part of EKFS’s standard oversight process for funded projects.
The auditors acknowledged the strong overall performance and commitment of the project teams. Several practical and administrative challenges were identified that need to be addressed to ensure successful project completion.
Following the audit, we…
Annual Conference of the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health in Eisenach, Germany
(Chifundo Mchawa, presenting the child NCD guidelines project)
Our Project Manager, Ms. Chifundo Mchawa and colleagues of Friede-Springer Endowed Professorship for Global Child Health attended the Annual Conference of the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health in Germany from 12–14 April 2024 which was themed “Children with disabilities and chronic illness in global health.” She presented on the topic “Development of Paediatric NCDs guidelines in Malawi”.
By…
Baseline Data Collection
(Emmanuel Mphepo and data collection officer performing a data quality assessment)
Paediatrics and Child Health Association (PACHA) conducted baseline data collection for the EKC Project between October 2023 and January 2024 across 16 pilot health facilities, including central hospitals, district hospitals, and health centres to give a full picture of service delivery across different levels of care. Ten trained research assistants used standardized tools, with supervision and quality checks to…
Data Collection Training Held in Dedza Ahead of Baseline Survey
In September 2023, we completed a data collection training in Dedza to prepare for the upcoming baseline survey. Facilitated by the M&E Officer, ten data collection assistants learned standardized procedures, tool usage, and quality checks to ensure accurate and reliable data. The training was a key step in supporting effective monitoring and evidence-based planning for the project.
(Data collection training facilitated by Emmanuel Mphepo)
By Emmanuel Mphepo, Monitoring and Evaluation…
Annual Conference of the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health in Bonn, Germany
In April, our team consisting of colleagues from Friede-Springer-endowed Professorship for Global Child Health participated in the Annual Conference of the German Society for Tropical Paediatrics and International Child Health in Bonn. The conference brought together clinicians, researchers, and global health experts to discuss current challenges and innovations in paediatric global health.
Our Malawian project lead, Dr Yamikani Chimalizeni, presented the Child NCD Guidelines Project, outlining…
District Hospital Management Team & District Executive Committee Meetings
As part of district introductory protocols, we conducted District Hospital Management Team & District Executive Committee meetings in Phalombe, Mwanza Dowa, Mchinji, Nkhatabay and Nsanje districts and meeting held in Phalombe and Mwanza districts held between September & November 2022 to introduce the EKC project to the relevant district structures for approval and familiarity. Both the DHMT & DEC approved the project in the mentioned districts.
By Chifundo Mchawa, Project Manager
M&E Indicator Development Workshop Held in Mangochi
In November 2022, we had an M&E indicator development workshop in Mangochi to support the EKC Project. The workshop was attended by the M&E Officer from Paediatrics and Child Health Association (PACHA), Mwai Gidala (Central Monitoring and Evaluation Department), Dickson Sumphi, and Dr. Malangizo Mbewe from the Ministry of Health.
During the workshop, participants developed monitoring and evaluation indicators for pediatric NCDs under the EKC Project. In total, we developed 78 indicators…
Guideline Development Workshops in Monkey Bay
In November, two intensive paediatric non-communicable diseases (NCD) guideline development workshops took place in Monkey Bay. Paediatricians from district and central hospitals across Malawi came together to collaboratively develop and refine the national paediatric NCD guidelines.
Over several focused days, participants consolidated their work into a comprehensive draft, building on the structure agreed during the project’s first technical meeting. Working in a setting away from their busy…
App Development Consultations
Although full app development is planned for Year 2, the team from Witten/Herdecke University, together with an external consultant Christian Neumann, began early discussions to explore the app’s potential structure and key features.
The team considered both essential and additional functions, including search options, compatibility with iOS and Android devices, online and offline use, clinical decision support features, multimedia integration, and tools for training and feedback. These early…
Support for Paediatric Registrars at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences
In line with the project plan, two paediatric registrars were admitted to the postgraduate “MMed Paediatrics and Child Health” programme at Kamuzu University of Health Sciences in September 2022 with project support.
As an additional highly qualified applicant was identified but did not receive governmental sponsorship, the project leadership and the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung (EKFS) agreed to support a third registrar in 2022. To maintain the overall funding framework, the number of…
Establishment of the Else Kröner Malawi Child Health Center
We successfully established the Else Kröner Malawi Child Health Center within the Paediatrics and Child Health Association (PACHA), marking an important milestone for the project. In April 2022, PACHA and Witten/Herdecke University formally signed a collaboration agreement after unanimously agreeing on the terms and conditions.
During the first half of 2022, the core project team was recruited. The team now includes key administrative, financial, monitoring and coordination staff, with all…
Project Launch and Guideline Development
In August, the Malawi – Else Kröner Child Health Project was officially launched in Blantyre, marking an exciting milestone for paediatric NCD care in Malawi. During a week-long visit, representatives from Witten/Herdecke University, a senior advisor from the UK, and a representative of the Else Kröner-Fresenius-Stiftung met with partners from Paediatrics and Child Health Association, the Ministry of Health, and Kamuzu University of Health Sciences. The team visited key hospitals to better…
Desk Review of Existing Paediatric NCD Guidelines
In June, our four paediatricians conducted a desk-review assessment of nationally and internationally available paediatric NCD guidelines relevant to child health in Malawi. They are based at Malawi’s central hospitals, all actively involved in clinical care and training, and were engaged as consultants for this work.
Supported by a Programme Advisory Board comprising representatives from Paediatrics and Child Health Association, Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Witten/Herdecke University,…