From Roadside Deliveries to Safe Births: Chamba’s New Maternity Wing in Machinga District, Malawi Brings Hope
By Bernard Kankhono.
World Vision Malawi, Communications Officer.
Margret Joseph, 26, a mother of two and a small-scale farmer from Chamba in Machinga District, Malawi, recently delivered her second child at a newly constructed maternity wing at Chamba Health Center. While this time her delivery was safe and well-managed, her first childbirth experience in 2019 nearly costed her and her baby their lives.
“It was at night when labour pains began. I alerted my husband, and we quickly arranged transport to Malosa Hospital, which is over eight miles away. He hired a motorcycle for MKW 20,000 (approximately USD 11.42). But before we could reach the hospital, I gave birth along the way, “says Margret.
In a community where many households survive on less than a dollar a day, spending MKW 20,000 on transport was a huge burden to Margret’s family. For years, long distance to the nearest health facility forced women such as Margret at Chamba to give birth at home or along the road, often without skilled assistance from health workers and under dangerous conditions.
“There was no trained health worker to support me. Delivering by the roadside led to complications afterward,” says Margret.
Margret and thousands of other mothers at Chamba will no longer have to walk miles in search of better maternal care following the completion of construction works of a new maternity wing at Chamba Health Center.
Construction of Chamba Health Center maternity wing began in 2018 but stalled for six years due to delays by Machinga District Council to allocate resource. In 2024, community members in Chamba engaged in a dialogue with local government authorities during a Citizen Voice and Action (CVA) interface meeting. It was at this CVA interface where community members held duty bearers accountable and demanded action on the stalled project. Their collective voice led to Machinga District Council allocating funds through Constituency Development Fund (CDF), resulting in the successful completion of the maternity wing.
“I am so happy that for my second baby, I received quick and proper care. I just walked to the maternity wing and I was attended to immediately. It’s such a relief to have a maternity facility so close to home,” says Margret.
Kazuwa Kang’oma, Chairperson of Chamba CVA in Chamba Area Programme, expressed satisfaction with the outcome of the 2024 CVA interface.
“For a long time, our area had been overlooked in terms of development. Seeing this progress encourages us to stay involved and support more community projects,” says Kazuwa.
According to Dr. Jones Chise, Director of Health and Social Services at Machinga District Council, the completion of the Chamba maternity wing is a timely intervention in the fight against maternal and neonatal deaths which were previously high in the area.
“This new facility is a great relief. We used to record many home deliveries due to long distance. The maternity wing will also support under-five services including immunizations efforts,” says Dr. Chise.
World Vision Malawi played a key role in facilitating the CVA dialogue at Chamba, a social accountability approach that empowers communities to monitor government service delivery. Lizzie Lombe, Advocacy, Campaigns, and Safeguarding Manager at World Vision Malawi says she is happy to see CVA interfaces bearing fruits.
“The opening of this maternity wing demonstrates the power of community empowerment which is central to our advocacy efforts,” says Lombe.
Since its opening on April 15, 2025, the maternity wing has already supported the delivery of 69 babies. In addition to facilitating the completing of construction works at Chamba Health Center, World Vision Malawi has also equipped the maternity wing with examination beds and tables which are playing an important role in ensuring that mothers and newborns at the facility receive proper postnatal checkups.