Malawi Country Director, Eddah Hara

I started working with GHI in 2012 after my undergraduate school. This was my 1 year of practicum training before pursuing a masters degree. It was between finding a job in the USA or coming back home in Malawi to get that experience. Since my heart is in global health, more especially for developing countries, I could not hesitate when the opportunity arose for a job in Malawi through GHI. It was one of the best decisions I made as I have seen both landscapes, prior to GHI-HITSystem work and after HITSystem. We have come a long way! What I like about the HITSystem is that it’s not just an innovation to give you data, but it’s an innovation that’s focused on the needs of the users (health facilities) and the clients (HIV mothers and their babies) it serves. Health facilities don’t have to go through a pile of hard copy files to know who needs what intervention as the system is developed to provide time sensitive alerts at all stages in the Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission/Early Infant Diagnosis (PMTCT/EID) cascade. Clients are able to receive the care needed in a timely manner through these alerts hence improved health outcomes. The system really shows each client how much they are valued and cared as it addresses problems of lost to follow up – with the HITSystem, we are able to know who is where, and final outcomes through client follow up. It’s a life saving tool for Malawi, and any country that’s struggling with PMTCT/EID programs, as it addresses most of the challenges.

Eddah Hara