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, and senior advisor Prof Elizabeth Molyneux, the team reviewed existing guidelines from Malawi, the African region, and the World Health Organization.
The aim was to analyse their structure, content, strengths, and limitations, and to develop recommendations for comprehensive national paediatric NCD guidelines covering prevention, management, and treatment.
One of the consultants, Dr. Dominic Moyo, presented the findings at a technical meeting in Blantyre and later prepared for publication to support evidence-based guideline development in Malawi.
By Megumi Nagase, Research Associate at Witten/Herdecke University