By Brighton Chimsinde 

Mchinji, June 21, Mana: Centre for Research and Development Initiative (CERADI) in Mchinji district has embarked on a refresher training for 12 Mother Care Groups (MCGs), those that are situated in hard to reach areas with financial support amounting to over K 20 million from GAVE through its umbrella board, Malawi Equity Health Network (MEHN).

One of the Senior Officers from CERADI, Lisungu Chiumia was speaking Thursday when she was closing one of the two day-long refresher training which was organized for Tadala MCG of Senior Group Village Head (SGVH) Tsamphale, Senior Chief Mlonyeni in the district.

She said the training was initiated with an intention to remind the grouping on the topics like MCGs roles, maternal and antenatal, group management, advocacy on health related issues among others.

MEHN’s Health System Immunization Strengthening Project Officer, Kumbesi Gomile said that the intention behind the support and trainings were to revamp and strengthen the groups for them to improve uptake of medical immunization among women and children and other health services in the remote and hard to reach areas. 

“We have supported them with finances for the training and now we are asking them to push the next gear in their efforts. 

“To ensure sustainability of the MCGs, the committee members need to cement cordial working relationships with community leaders and other stakeholders working in their community,” Gomile said.

Senior Health Surveillance Officer of Mchinji District Hospital, Johans Chirwa and Senior Group Village Head Tsamphale thanked CERADI and MEHN for the timely support which would go a long way in reviving the MCGs.

They called on the Tadala MCG Committee members to be united and utilize what they have learnt during the training in their endeavors for it to bear fruits to the community.

Chirwa said Tadala MCG was earmarked to benefit from the training because of low uptake of immunization among mothers and children due to poor road network and inadequate ratio of the health surveillance assistants to the community population.

Considering that the area is neighboring with Mozambique and Zambia nationals, he advised the MCG members that they should request families from the countries to produce their women and children health passport book when they seek to reside in the community or access health services.   

“Villages under SGVH Tsamphale are at a distance of over 17 kilometres from the District Hospital which is nearest to them and during a rainy season become impassable. The community has one Health Surveillance Assistant (HAS) who is serving close to 3,000 targeted populations which is contrary to the standard ratio which says one HSA to 1,000 people,” he said.