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CONFERENCE PROCEEDING
Improving uptake and accessibility of six-week postnatal check-ups for mothers and infants at Limbe Health Centre, Blantyre, Malawi
1
MINISTRY OF HEALTH, LIMBE HEALTH CENTRE, BLANTYRE, Malawi
2
Seed Global, midwifery, Lilongwe, Malawi
3
Kamuzu University health sciences, School of Maternal- Neonatal and Reproductive health, Lilongwe, Malawi
Eur J Midwifery 2026;10(Supplement 1):A668
ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND:
In Malawi, postnatal care (PNC) attendance significantly declines after the initial 48 hours postpartum, despite its importance for monitoring the health of both mother and baby. At Limbe Health Centre, between October 2023 and March 2024, 1,227 infants received their scheduled six-week vaccinations, but only 2 mothers attended their six-week PNC appointment during the same period. This gap underscores a missed opportunity: while infants are brought in for essential immunisations, their mothers are not accessing the critical care they need at the same time, pointing to a clear need for integrated services.
OBJECTIVES:
To increase the six-week postnatal care uptake at the Midwifery Led Ward in Blantyre, Malawi.
METHODS:
Using a Quality Improvement (QI) approach, baseline data on PNC uptake was collected from October 2023 to March 2024from postnatal and immunization registers. The Midwifery Led Ward team then implemented three change ideas using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles: (1) briefing immunisation staff to refer mothers to PNC before vaccinations, (2) integrating PNC and immunisation in one visit, and (3) daily health education for postpartum women and immunisation clients. Progress was tracked through run charts and ongoing data collection. Post-intervention PNC uptake was then collected from April 2024 to August 2024.
RESULTS:
Six-week PNC uptake increased from 0.62% to 88% over the project period. Integration of services and consistent health education significantly improved both awareness and service utilisation. Most mothers preferred completing PNC before proceeding to immunisation.
CONCLUSIONS:
To sustain high PNC uptake, midwives should integrate PNC and immunisation services within the same space and continue providing routine health education. This model can serve as a scalable approach in similar low-resource settings to reduce missed opportunities for maternal and infant care.
KEY MESSAGE:
Strategic service integration and targeted communication can dramatically improve postnatal care coverage. Aligning maternal and child health services optimises client flow and addresses drop-offs. Poster session 2 (Group A)
In Malawi, postnatal care (PNC) attendance significantly declines after the initial 48 hours postpartum, despite its importance for monitoring the health of both mother and baby. At Limbe Health Centre, between October 2023 and March 2024, 1,227 infants received their scheduled six-week vaccinations, but only 2 mothers attended their six-week PNC appointment during the same period. This gap underscores a missed opportunity: while infants are brought in for essential immunisations, their mothers are not accessing the critical care they need at the same time, pointing to a clear need for integrated services.
OBJECTIVES:
To increase the six-week postnatal care uptake at the Midwifery Led Ward in Blantyre, Malawi.
METHODS:
Using a Quality Improvement (QI) approach, baseline data on PNC uptake was collected from October 2023 to March 2024from postnatal and immunization registers. The Midwifery Led Ward team then implemented three change ideas using Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles: (1) briefing immunisation staff to refer mothers to PNC before vaccinations, (2) integrating PNC and immunisation in one visit, and (3) daily health education for postpartum women and immunisation clients. Progress was tracked through run charts and ongoing data collection. Post-intervention PNC uptake was then collected from April 2024 to August 2024.
RESULTS:
Six-week PNC uptake increased from 0.62% to 88% over the project period. Integration of services and consistent health education significantly improved both awareness and service utilisation. Most mothers preferred completing PNC before proceeding to immunisation.
CONCLUSIONS:
To sustain high PNC uptake, midwives should integrate PNC and immunisation services within the same space and continue providing routine health education. This model can serve as a scalable approach in similar low-resource settings to reduce missed opportunities for maternal and infant care.
KEY MESSAGE:
Strategic service integration and targeted communication can dramatically improve postnatal care coverage. Aligning maternal and child health services optimises client flow and addresses drop-offs. Poster session 2 (Group A)
| eISSN: | 2585-2906 |
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