Jullita Kenala Malava is a research scientist. Her background is professional nursing and she is also a public health specialist. She has a master’s degree in public health and a bachelor’s degree in nursing science from University of Malawi; College of Medicine and Kamuzu College of Nursing respectively. Jullita previously worked with University of North Carolina as a team leader research nurse on clinical research mostly infectious diseases. She joined MEIRU in 2015 and led a large cluster randomized trial; the Cooking and Pneumonia Study (CAPS).

Whilst at MEIRU Jullita has led a number of studies both qualitative and quantitative in nature, especially clinical based studies.  Her main interests are in mental health care and research specifically maternal and child care and implementation science. She is currently working on clinical and population based research studies in the area of non-communicable diseases including mental health; Generation Malawi as Karonga site lead. She is also coordinating the Northern region sites for a UNC-MEIRU subcontracted project, the Sub Sahara Africa Regional Partnership (SHARP) for mental health capacity building project where she forms part of external quality assurance team as well as conducting problem solving therapy (Friendship Bench) trainings and counselling. Additionally, Jullita is working towards finalizing a pilot study on implementation science: Exploring the facilitators and barriers of integrating common perinatal mental disorders screening and management into maternal and child health care settings.

Publications

Mortimer, Kevin; Lesosky, Maia; Semple, Sean; Malava, Jullita; Katundu, Cynthia; Crampin, Amelia; Wang, Duolao; Weston, William; Pope, Daniel; Havens, Deborah; Gordon, Stephen; Balmes, John. (2020) Pneumonia and exposure to household air pollution in children under the age of 5 in rural malawI: Findings from The Cooking And Pneumonia Study (CAPS) Accepted 28 Mar-2020

Judith R Glynn, Estelle McLean, Jullita Malava, Albert Dube, Cynthia Katundu, Amelia C Crampin, Steffen Geis (2020) Effects of acute illness contact patterns, Malawi, 2017; Emerg Infect Dis 2020 Jan;26(1):44-50

Christine A. Kelly, Amelia C. Crampin, Kevin Mortimer, Albert Dube, Jullita Malava, Deborah Johnston, Elaine Unterhalter, Judith R. Glynn (2018) From kitchen to classroom: Assessing the impact of cleaner burning biomass-fuelled cookstoves on primary school attendance in Karonga district, northern Malawi; Plos One

Mortimer K, Ndamala C, Naunje A, Malava J, Katundu C Weston W et al (2017) A cleaner burning biomass-fuelled cookstove intervention to prevent pneumonia in children under 5 years old in rural Malawi (Cooking and Pneumonia Study): a cluster randomized controlled trial; The Lancet vol 389

Cundale K, Thomas R, Malava J, Conteh L (2017) A health intervention or a kitchen appliance? Household costs and benefits of a cleaner burning biomass cookstove in Malawi Social science & medicine  

Malava J, Lancaster C, Gaynes B, Mbirimtengerenji N, Tweya H, Phiri S, Kauye F, Hossenipour M, et al (2018). Prevalence and correlates of probable depression diagnosis and suicidal ideation among patients receiving HIV care in Lilongwe, Malaw. MMJ

Powers K, Kamanga G, Mapanje C, Malava J, Chindebvu M, Kamzati H, Martinson F, Miller W, Cohen M, Hoffman I. 2011 Longitudinal trends in HIV testing and prevalence among STI clinic patients in Lilongwe, Malawi: 19^TH Biennial Meeting of the International Society for Sexually Transmitted Diseases Research, Quebec City 

Nussbaum, J. C., Jackson, A., Namarika, D., Phulusa, J., Kenala, J., Kanyemba, C., … Harrison, T. S. (2010). Combination flucytosine and high-dose fluconazole compared with fluconazole monotherapy for the treatment of cryptococcal meningitis: A randomized trial in Malawi. Clinical Infectious Diseases, 50(3), 338-344. DOI: 

Grants

Sub-Saharan Africa Region Partnership for Mental Health Capacity Building (barriers and facilitators to implementation research on integration of common Perinatal Mental Disorders screening and management in maternal and child care settings.