This policy brief concerns the involvement of district-level workers in local-level practical approaches to mainstreaming gender. This involvement is central to facilitating change and informing health strategies. MKP led a project in Ghana to facilitate district-level health management teams and district-level field workers to conduct qualitative and participatory research on gender aspects of access to health care for malaria. The results have informed strategies to improve gender equity in health at the community level
This policy brief looks at perceptions of neonatal and infant death. Death in the first four weeks of life accounts for almost 40% of deaths in children under five years of age. The causes of neonatal death in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly the contribution of pre-term birth, are poorly documented. It is vital to understand community perceptions of ill health in pregnancy through a combination of both traditional and biomedical models of health. The Malaria Knowledge Programme (MKP) carried out a qualitative study to investigate the perceptions of women, men and health workers of pre-term labour, its causes and prevention strategies. Although ante-natal clinic attendance was recognised as one way of preventing pre-term labour, constraints to accessing these services included lack of money and poor quality services