![malawimom.jpg](/sites/default/files/imagecache/malawimom.jpg)
Malawian mother uses WaterGuard
water solution at her home.
SALIMA DISTRICT, Malawi — In September, Malawi’s central Salima District is dusty and hot. The queue at the clinic for children under five grows longer as the morning hours pass, and the nursing staff at the Salima District Hospital continues faithfully attending to its patients. Ms. Annie Kankodo, deputy head nurse and senior maternal and child health coordinator, is one of the faithful staff members. Recently, Nurse Kankodo served as the district coordinator for a pilot project that would ease these long queues by reducing the incidence of diarrheal disease among young children.
The Hygiene Kit Pilot for Diar rheal Disease Prevention and Control project ran from November 2006 to April 2008 with help from UNICEF, Malawi’s Ministry of Health and USAID. The program trained nurses and Ministry of Health community workers, called Health Surveillance Assistants (HSAs), in Blantyre and Salima Districts about the importance of safe drinking water, proper water storage and hand hygiene. After the training, leaders like Annie motivated the nurses to take ownership of the program and reinforced the impor tance of good hand hygiene and treat ing drinking water year-round.
The program distributed a total of 15,000 hygiene kits to pregnant women in Blantyre and Salima District and promoted the use of safe water, proper hand washing and birthing at clinics with nurses. The hygiene kits were comprised of a bucket with a tap, a bottle of WaterGuard household water disinfectant, two sachets of Thanzi ORS (Oral Rehydration Salts), a bar of soap and a brochure on the importance of safe water, good hygiene and correct use of ORS. Program beneficiaries were given three free refills of soap and WaterGuard to encourage them to return for antenatal visits.