Facility assessment and qualitative analysis of health worker perspectives on neonatal health in Malawi

• Main Authors: Mai-Lei Woo Kinshella, Alinane Linda Nyondo-Mipando, Queen Dube, David M. Goldfarb, Kondwani Kawaza
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2021-07-01
• Series: BMC Research Notes
• Subjects: Facility assessment; Qualitative research; Newborn care; Bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP); Health worker perspectives; Malawi
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s13104-021-05679-5

Abstract Objectives The “Integrating a neonatal healthcare package for Malawi” (IMCHA#108030) project conducted mixed-methods to understand facility-based implementation factors for newborn health innovations in low-resourced health settings. The objective of the two datasets was to evaluate: (a) capacity of quality newborn care in three districts in southern Malawi, and (b) barriers and facilitators the scale up of bubble continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP), a newborn health innovation to support babies with respiratory distress. Data description The Integrated Maternal, Neonatal and Child Quality of Care Assessment and Improvement Tool (version April-2014) is a standardized facility assessment tool developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) that examines quality as well as quantity and availability. The facility survey is complemented by a qualitative dataset of illustrative quotes from health service providers and supervisors on bubble CPAP implementation factors. Research was conducted in one primary health centre (facility assessment only), three district-level hospitals (both) and a tertiary hospital (qualitative only) in southern Malawi. These datasets may be used by other researchers for insights into health systems of low-income countries and implementation factors for the roll-out of neonatal health innovations as well as to frame future research questions or preliminary exploratory research on similar topics.