Browsing by Author "Wakhonderachi Temweka Nyirenda Likha"

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    Exploring Midwives’ Experiences Regarding Implementation of Maternal Death Surveillance and Response at Mwanza District Hospital, Malawi
    (2025-04-15) Wakhonderachi Temweka Nyirenda Likha
    Despite the Malawi government's implementation of the Maternal Death Surveillance and Response initiative in 2002, preventable maternal deaths persist. Data from Mwanza District Hospital revealed 9 maternal deaths in 2023 alone. This demonstrated that Malawi, like many other low- and middle-income countries, is still far from attaining the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for reducing maternal mortality. Midwives play a pivotal role as members of the MDSR team, and there is potential for midwives to indirectly experience trauma from such role. However, little is known about their experiences during implementation of the MDSR. The main objective of the study was to explore the experiences of midwives regarding the implementation of maternal death surveillance and response. We employed a qualitative explorative descriptive design. In-depth interviews with 18 purposively selected individuals were used to collect qualitative data using a semistructured interview guide. Data analysis was carried out in accordance with Braun and Clarke's six phases of theme analysis, with Nvivo 12 software. The study highlighted three themes based on midwives' experiences with MDSR: maternal death identification, notification, and reporting. Experiences with the maternal death review and audit processes, as well as the implementation and follow-up of action plans. These themes illustrate the complexities of MDSR, such as emotional impact, protocol obstacles, and implementation barriers. The possible recommendation that emerged was the need for more research and development of national policy to identify high quality interventions to support midwives through the MDSR.