The Doctor

Another Malawian we grew close with was a man affectionately known as "the doctor." He attended college in the U.S. and then came back to practice medicine in Malawi. His clinic in the northern region of Malawi provides pre-natal and delivery services, vaccinations, HIV testing and basic illness care. HIV counseling is given prior to the results given back to their patients so they can understand what it means if their results come back positive. The Malawi government encourages everyone to be tested but it is not mandatory. Estimates state that up to 12% of the Malawi population is HIV positive.

The use of midwives is very common in Malawi. HIV can be spread because midwives use their bare hands to delivery babies, it is highly encouraged that a mother goes to the clinic to have her baby rather than at home to decrease mother mortality rates. They are also trying to educate midwives of the importance of using latex gloves during delivery.