Document is current

Article History

Received: 4 August 2024

Accepted: 11 October 2024

First Online: 26 October 2024

Declarations

:

: We obtained ethical approval from the College of Medicine Research and Ethics Committee (COMREC) under the Kamuzu University of health sciences (KuHeS) for our research protocol (No U.01/23/3936). Consent was also gained from the director of Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital as well as the head of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital. The in charge at Bangwe Health Centre gave us consent to carry out the study after seeking permission from the DHO. Permission from the chief in Bangwe was granted to conduct the focus group discussion. Each study participant gave their informed consent to participate in the study before any study activities. The purpose of the study was explained to all participants who were approached. The Principal Investigator read the consent form to all participants who could not read nor write in the presence of an impartial witness and participants thumb-printed the consent form. Literate participants gave written informed consent after reading and having understood the contents of the consent form. Privacy and confidentiality were maintained by conducting interviews at a private place with the assignment of identification numbers instead of their real names. We conducted our in-depth interviews in Chichewa to prevent language barriers. Interviews with healthcare workers were conducted in both Chichewa and English depending on healthcare workers’ preference. All data were kept in a password-protected computer and consent forms were kept in a locked cabinet.

: Not applicable.

: EM, AM, and AIP are undergraduate medical students at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (formerly known as the College of Medicine). The study was carried out as part of their undergraduate research project. IKC and ALNM are public health professionals and lecturers in Health Systems and Policy at the Kamuzu University of Health Sciences.

: The authors declare no competing interests.