Skilled midwives are crucial in preventing maternal deaths in Malawi.

Eunice Mwandira, Malawi Country Program Manager for We Care Solar, told us about the challenges facing midwives and health workers in Malawi, and the transformative impact of a simple solar innovation on maternal health care.

Eunice Mwandira began her career in public health as a nurse midwife, and has worked across clinical nursing, research, management and community health. Now, as Malawi Country Manager for We Care Solar, she works with local health professionals and leaders to develop community-led health solutions.

Skilled midwives are crucial in preventing maternal deaths

“Skilled and well supported midwives have an important and broad role. They provide counselling and information to pregnant women during antenatal care, identify high-risk mothers, and manage conditions pregnant women face,” Mwandira says.

In the delivery room, midwives have the expertise to manage high-risk mothers during labour. “With adequate lighting, midwives can identify anaemia, notice oedema, abnormal shape of the uterus in an obstructed labour, and malposition of the baby through inspection. Through examination, they can inspect the vagina for lacerations and tears, measure blood loss, and check the placenta for completeness. Of course, this is when midwives are supported with essential tools and lighting,” Mwandira explains.

Malawi’s maternal health care challenges

Mwandira has seen firsthand the challenges facing the public health system in Malawi, including poor infrastructure, lack of essential medicines, and staff shortages. “Some health facilities don’t have water and electricity. I empathise with the problems facing healthcare workers on the frontlines,” she explains.

She says sometimes “women deliver on the floor if beds are all occupied, or clinics don’t have essential drugs to manage haemorrhages, and lighting is inadequate. Without light, midwives work in an environment that puts lives at risk.”

Empowering midwives, empowering mothers

A former midwife herself, Mwandira says “light and basic maternal equipment have an incredible impact on midwives’ personal safety and job satisfaction. With light, they can provide quality care to mothers until they are discharged, boosting morale and confidence. And good lighting reduces accidents, injuries, and the risk of contracting or transmitting diseases. It means delivery rooms can be properly maintained to be clean and well ordered.”

This empowerment leads to building trust within the community, encouraging more women to seek early and adequate maternal care. “Skilled midwives who are properly resourced get a lot of support from the community by earning mothers’ confidence, and building trusting relationships. This trust means more women will seek out maternal health services, and early care,” she says.

Let there be light: The Solar Suitcase

The Solar Suitcase is a cornerstone of We Care Solar’s ‘Light Every Birth‘ initiative. This simple yet powerful tool brings light, power, and comfort to maternity wards. The suitcase is equipped with four movable lamps, two headlamps, and provides power for essential medical devices, such as foetal dopplers and infrared thermometers. It also helps charge phones, crucial for coordinating care and making referrals.

Training on the Solar Suitcase includes using tools like the foetal doppler, which many midwives previously lacked. “With the Solar Suitcase, midwives can perform critical tasks under quality lighting—inspecting for lacerations, measuring blood loss, and ensuring the placenta is intact,” Mwandira says.

Health innovations work best when they are supported by robust public health systems

We Care Solar’s investment in maternal heath care extends beyond equipment. It collaborates with the Government of Malawi and other NGOs, and aims to integrate solar technology into the public health infrastructure sustainably. “We work with Ministry of Health and Ministry of Energy government technicians with the goal of them taking the technology forward, and out into other districts,” Mwandira says.

Learn more about how We Care Solar is making a difference through the ‘Light Every Birth’ initiative: https://wecaresolar.org/what-we-do/light-every-birth/