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Malawi Epidemiology and Intervention Research Unit (MEIRU) is pleased to have completed its first Wellcome Trust funded public engagement activity – engaging with primary school learners at Chipala and Kabwabwa schools (Lilongwe) and St Anne’s and Mabalani schools (Karonga) and exploring their perceptions about long term conditions in their community.
Through several workshops with our MEIRU facilitators, the 22 learners in each school shared their health priorities and concerns, and specifically how their environment and their parents’/guardians’ long term conditions can influence their health, both now and in the future. As part of the process, our learners interrogated our scientists about the causes and patterns of NCDs in Malawi and designed their own research questions.
The MEIRU science team used our databases to answer them before returning with answers for the learners. Through this collaboration, the learners created plays, poems, songs and dance communicating different health concerns to their peers, parents/guardians, traditional and government leaders and community and asking these influencers for help and support to overcome these concerns.
