APT-Sepsis Incorporated into Malawi's Updated Maternal and Newborn Care Training
APT-Sepsis has taken an important step forward in Malawi with its inclusion in the recently updated Integrated Maternal and Newborn Care (IMNH) Guidelines. As part of this milestone, a five-day training programme for lecturers was held to support the roll out of the updated guidelines across health sciences institutions.
The training, supported by Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) through the Christian Health Association of Malawi (CHAM), brought together 48 lecturers from universities and colleges across Malawi. By equipping educators with the latest evidence-based approaches to maternal and newborn care, the programme aims to strengthen the quality and consistency of teaching delivered to future healthcare professionals.
Practical learning and skills development
The training combined classroom-based teaching with practical demonstrations, ensuring participants could translate knowledge into clinical practice. A key component of the programme focused on APT-Sepsis and the use of the FAST-M bundle to improve the recognition and management of maternal sepsis.
During practical sessions, participants gained experience in essential skills, including:
Hand hygiene practices
Vaginal preparation techniques
Application of FAST-M tools in maternal sepsis care
To assess learning outcomes, participants completed an Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) on the final day, demonstrating their understanding and competence across all topics covered during the training.
Supporting the national roll out of APT-Sepsis
The incorporation of APT-Sepsis into the updated IMNH Guidelines represents a significant opportunity to embed best practice approaches to maternal sepsis management within both pre-service education and clinical training programmes.
Feedback from the training highlighted strong engagement from participants and the value of practical, skills-based learning approaches. The experience also provided important insights into the implementation of the APT-Sepsis programme, which will help inform future training activities as partners continue to roll out APT-Sepsis programme.
As implementation expands, continued learning and collaboration between educators, trainers and health partners will be essential to ensuring high-quality delivery and maximising the impact of APT-Sepsis on maternal health outcomes.
