Chancy Banda is a registered nurse and midwife who serves as the district nursing and midwifery officer for the Nsanje District Council, part of the Ministry of Local Government and Rural Development in Malawi. In this role, she oversees the implementation of nursing and midwifery services and serves as district quality management coordinator. Chancy works to improve the quality of maternal, newborn and child health care through mentoring health care workers on quality improvement methodologies to reinforce the implementation of quality-of-care standards for maternal, newborn and child health. In collaboration with stakeholders, she coordinates the delivery of health care services in times of public health emergencies. Building on the partnership experience, Chancy established a network for Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights and HIV and AIDS for stakeholders to facilitate a coordinated implementation of services in the district. She chairs the District Research Committee, which oversees the implementation of health care research. In addition, she is a secretary for the Institutional Integrity Committee, which coordinates anti-corruption efforts within the district council. Chancy earned a Master of Science in Midwifery and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing with a certificate in Midwifery from Kamuzu University of Health Sciences, Malawi.
Applied Project Title: Reducing the Growing Incidence of Diabetes in Malawi
Cases of diabetes are rising rapidly in Malawi. In 2021, an estimated 4,800+ people, or 7.3% of the population, were living with diabetes. That number is expected to double by 2030. Most patients are not diagnosed and develop complications, which contribute to poor health outcomes and increasing financial strain on the health care system. This project explored strategies to control the rapidly growing number of new cases of diabetes, including the implementation of robust diabetes-specific health education campaigns and development of a digital platform for social and behavioral change communication to increase awareness of, and access to, prevention, screening, early treatment and management of this highly prevalent, chronic disease.