The Role of Carers

An article appears in this edition of the Malawi Medical Journal which articulates very clearly the gains which can accrue to the health sector if grandmothers were empowered to become consistent partners, especially in the provision of Maternal and Child Health and/or Reproductive Health services in Malawi, as studies have shown in other parts of the sub-Saharan Africa. This is in recognition of the pivotal role grandmothers play in influencing decisions, including those relating to health seeking behaviour, within their extended families. This is true, especially in the traditional rural settings where family structures remain intact. In these settings, there may also be significant others who influence the role of carers in healthcare, as will become apparent later.