Browsing by Author "Chapweteka, Blessings"

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    Evaluating the impact of mandatory folic acid fortification programme on the prevalence of Spina Bifida in Southern Region of Malawi: A central hospital based secondary data study
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2020-12-01) Chapweteka, Blessings
    Without evidence, we can not know if a Malawian fortification programme of 2015 has been effective. We conducted the study to evaluate the impact of folic acid fortification programme on the prevalence of spina bifida in the southern region of Malawi. We used a pre post case-control quasi experimental comparative study design. We assessed the total number of births for the southern region, Mw in 2014. Then we reviewed case notes of spina bifida patients who presented to QECH from the southern region, Mw in that year (2014). We did the same for 2018. Spina bifida cases were defined as a documented confirmed case note diagnosis of spina bifida, myelomeningocele or meningocele. The control group comprised of case notes of patients who presented to QECH from the southern region with conditions like sepsis, malaria and diarrhea. To obtain prevalence, we divided the number of cases with the total number of births, expressed per 10,000 live births. The prevalence for 2014 and 2018 were compared to assess the programme’s impact. We performed logistic regression to assess the odds of spina bifida before and after the programme using; gender, birth weight; tribe; maternal age at delivery; number of children by mother; district of residence; pre-natal use of folic acid and use of chronic medications. The before and after odds were compared to assess for accuracy of prevalence. We used Z test to assess the significance of the odds at 95% confidence interval and 0.05 marginal error. SPSS software version 20 was used. The prevalence increased by 13.6% from the pre-fortification to the post-fortification period. Occurrence of spina bifida was statistically associated with female gender (OR 2.51 (1.019-6.198) p= 0.45), absent history of spina bifida (OR 0.191 (0.41-.884) p=0.034), mean birth weight of 2850g, family size 72% ≤3 children and maternal age 77% ≤ 30 years. The study showed that the mandatory folic acfortification programme in Malawi might have not been effective in reducing the prevalence of spina bifida.
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    Needs and preference of males regarding male family planning services at Kawale
    (Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, 2010-07-15) Chapweteka, Blessings
    Family planning services were introduced in Malawi in 1960, but concentration was placed on women. Though 50 years of use of family planning, it has been less effective in controlling our population. For example, the Malawi government and the Word Bank (1997) stated that population was 9.5 million and they estimated that it might double within 20 years. According to Malawi Government index mundi (2010), the annual growth rate in 2001 was 2.01 percent and 2.37 in 2007, while 2.746 in 2009. And it has been estimated to rise in 2010. The rising growth rate reflects a current fertility rate of 5.59 which is one of the highest in Africa (Malawi Government index mundi, 2010). Malalwi government and the World Bank (1997), states that low demand to family planning services has rendered the services ineffective, and hence the need to increase demand in order to bring effectiveness. Increasing demand implies increasing the number of clients seeking the services. This increase in demand can be achieved by involving men to utilize the family planning methods in addition to the female clients. Statistics has shown that males' utilization of family planning is at 13 percent despite knowledge level of 98.5 percent, (Demographic Health Survey). The statistics herein has convinced the researcher to conduct a research study on needs and preferences of males regarding male family planning services. It has shown that the males know of family planning and approves of it however their utilization of the method remains low (13 percent) hence the study will explore ways which males prefer and need regarding male family planning services. The study will be descriptive qualitative. It will unsurfaced how males want male family planning services to be provided so that they are motivated to utilize them effectively. A sample of 15 male individuals with knowledge on male family planning services will be recruited from Kawale. Data will be collected using a questionnaire and will be analysed manually. The findings of the study will be address problems of low male utilization of male family planning services, specifically the methods.