Health Forum - Adolescent Health and Wellbeing

Malawi has one of the youngest populations in the world, with children and young people making up the largest and fastest-growing share of the population. More than half of all Malawians (51%) are under the age of 18, which raises a number of challenges and opportunities for adolescents across the country.

This health forum we are delighted to welcome colleagues from Malawi and Scotland to share findings of their research, and discuss practical approaches to improving adolescent health and wellbeing from two programmes.

Firstly, colleagues from the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS),
Kamuzu University of Health Sciences (KUHeS), and the University of Strathclyde, will be sharing emerging research findings and highlighting the interventions currently being trialled with communities on the ground. Their work forms part of the NIHR Global Health Research Programme, which brings together adolescents (aged 10-19), their families, health workers and policymakers in rural Mchinji and urban Blantyre to co-design and test practical approaches to improving adolescent health and wellbeing. The programme focuses on three key areas: adverse childhood experiences and their influence on sexual and reproductive health and rights; water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH); and understanding adolescent wellbeing in Malawi.

Secondly, the forum will also feature findings from Dr. Marly Muudeni Samuel (University of
Stirling) and Dr. Elita Chamdimba's (University of Malawi) study, Participatory Digital Learning with Fishing Communities: Malawi-Scotland Stories. Funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), this study explores how climate change is shaping the lives, education and future socio-economic opportunities of young people (aged 14-18) in fishing communities around Lake Chilwa, Malawi. Through participatory digital approaches, the project amplifies young people's voices and experiences, creating opportunities for shared learning and dialogue between communities in Malawi and Scotland.

Join us to learn about these innovative partnerships and their efforts to improve outcomes
for young people across Malawi.

More here: https://adolescentwellbeingmal...