Malawi

STREAMS:

a program to improve the sustainability of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene systems in Healthcare Centres.

Rumphi District, located in northern Malawi hosts about 18 health care centres including 2 hospitals. Before TI became involved, most facilities had no reliable, clean water and, broken or rudimentary sanitary systems. Medical hygiene practice was very difficult and therefore often ignored.

TI helped regional health authorities and local entrepreneurs institute a program called STREAMS. Key to the program are ‘circuit riders’: trained professionals who travel regularly to healthcare facilities. Technical circuit riders repair broken systems, do assessments and generally assist site managers with physical problems. Quality-of-care riders, also government Environmental Health staff, promote sanitary and hygenic practices through training, and monitoring.

TI designed the program with help from our partner The Desert Research Institute, and local Malawian partner DAMRA (Development Action for Marginalized Rural Areas). TI continues to support the Circuit Riders, monitor and make adjustments. TI has also worked with funding partners to source and coordinate resources for major initiatives such as recent major repairs to a maternity ward building