MCSP - PACHI Quarterly Report 2015 Q1 (September – December, 2015)

The project, implemented by MCHIP/Malawi, aims to track immunization status in infants in priority districts of Ntchisi and Dowa. The project duration is from September 2015 to August 2016, with a total obligation funding amount of $50,000. The project objectives are to track immunization status of children in Ntchisi and Dowa districts and to monitor immunization trends of infants at the community level. To achieve these objectives, the project conducted various activities, including DHMT orientation meetings, HSA and HCW trainings, village head and volunteer trainings, and infant census in two Traditional Authorities (T/As) of each district. The activities were conducted from November 3 to December 9, 2015, in Ntchisi and from November 12 to December 15, 2015, in Dowa. The project accomplished several activities, including project debriefing to 7 DHMT members, training of 115 HSAs and other Health Workers, and briefing of 84 members of ADCs of TAs in Ntchisi. In Dowa, the project conducted project debriefing to DHMT, training of 136 HSAs and HCW, orientation of 50 officials in DA District Executive Committees, briefing of 65 members of ADC P, and briefing of 8 Dowa DHMT members. The project also implemented two unplanned activities, including participation in supervision visits of delegates from USAID at Ntchisi DHO and Nyalabvu Outreach Clinic, and presentation of the MCSP project at DEC in Dowa. The project faced several challenges, including ADC meetings that were not budgeted, underestimated village numbers, lack of transport receipts from participants, numerous village heads under every T/A, and confusion on the part of participants on project time-frame. The project took several actions to address these challenges, including revising the budget to accommodate ADC meetings, reviewing the budget to accommodate underestimated village numbers, and stopping emphasis on time-frame to avoid confusion. The project has been well-received by the communities and the DHO, with health participation and contribution by participants around communities of Ntchisi in TAs Kalumo and Nthondo. The concept of training the volunteers has been described as brilliant by some quarters, including HSAs, who said that this will be a motivation factor. The Dowa District Assembly also gave PACHI an introductory letter and list of legitimate villages as a sign of recognition. The project has planned several activities for the next quarter, including conducting village heads and volunteer trainings and rolling out implementation of the project in the initial four T/As of both districts, and conducting ADC and health workers meetings in all remaining ten T/As in Dowa and Ntchisi.