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Article History

Received: 6 November 2023

Accepted: 5 September 2024

First Online: 16 September 2024

Declarations

:

: Ethical approval was obtained from the College of Medicine Research Ethics Committee (COMREC)-P. 10/21/3445 before any study procedures were performed. COMREC is based in Blantyre, Malawi, and is an institutional review board for Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, which is in Blantyre, Malawi. All participants provided informed verbal consent prior to study participation, and this was approved by COMREC, the Institution Review Board that assessed the study. The consent form was read to them, and it provided the rationale and selection process of individuals for participation and stated that they were free to withdraw at any point, which was captured through the recording of the conversation. If there were some who were illiterate, the presence of an impartial witness was not possible considering the nature of the consent process. All participants provided consent prior to study participation. The interviews were conducted in a private space so that there was no overhearing of the conversations. All participants were given an identification number, and no names were recorded on transcripts or used in final reports. The data were stored on a password-protected laptop belonging to the researcher.

: Not applicable.

: The authors declare no competing interests.