MHEN hands over push bicycles to mother care groups for community mobilisation

Malawi Health Equity Network (MHEN) says a reliable mode of transport plays a significant role in ensuring effective community mobilisation for improved child health across Malawi.

MHEN Executive Director, George Jobe, made the remarks on Monday as he handed over a bicycle to Mpendekela Mother Care Group at Traditional Authority Lundu in Blantyre to improve the group’s mobility.

According to Jobe, mother care groups work voluntarily with limited resources, saying it was pleasing to see them doing incredible work in mobilising parents and guardians to get their children vaccinated against illnesses.

“They use default tracing tools such as vaccine cards and community registers to identify children who miss vaccinations, and they also encourage expectant mothers to deliver at certified health facilities.

“One notable achievement is the construction of a footbridge at Lundu, which has allowed communities to access health services, especially during the rainy season,” he added.

Jobe expressed gratitude over the group’s commitment towards child health as MHEN was at Lundu as part of its ongoing monitoring and evaluation visits in the nine districts, including Blantyre, where the organisation work with the mother care group in mobilising communities on child vaccination.

Senior Health Surveillance Assistant at Lundu Health Centre, Sigrace Seda, acknowledged the mother care group’s active contribution to numerous activities that improved health delivery.

“Before the group was formed, it was difficult to trace children and women who miss vaccination. Thanks to the mother care group’s follow-ups, our data is more accurate, and coverage has improved,” she said.

Mpendekela Mother Care Group’s Secretary, Veronica Kalino, expressed gratitude over the bicycle donation, saying this will improve mobility to remote areas in times of community mobilisation.

“We often struggled to reach remote areas due to lack of transport. With this bicycle, we can now visit more households to ensure no one is left behind,” she said.

Senior Village Head, Chilundu, also hailed the group for playing active role in community mobilisation, which had seen improved vaccine uptake in most areas within Lunzu Health Center catchment.

Mother Care Groups were established in 2022 by the Government of Malawi through the Ministry of Health, with technical support from Expanded Programme on Immunisation (EPI) and funding from Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI).