St John Malawi
Since 1988, St John Scotland has supported our sister organisation, St John Malawi, with a community-led healthcare programme to improve the lives of children and families living in one of Africa’s poorest countries.
For every 1,000 babies born in Malawi, around 20 will die before their first birthday, compared to just three in Scotland. A woman’s risk of dying during childbirth or shortly after delivery is around thirty times higher than here at home.
For more than 25 years, St John Scotland has provided annual funding to support St John Malawi’s established Mother and Baby programme in and around Blantyre.
This long-term Scottish partnership has helped save lives and strengthen family health across communities. Over the past quarter century, maternal and infant mortality rates in Malawi have fallen by more than half. This is a remarkable achievement, though challenges remain.
In the last two years, the project has expanded to three neighbourhoods, focusing on:
- Maternal, neonatal and child health
- Improved water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) behaviours
- Better food safety and nutrition
- Increased attendance at antenatal clinics
- Greater awareness and uptake of family planning
- Stronger involvement of fathers in safe motherhood
Delivered in partnership with local health authorities, the programme reached over 80,000 beneficiaries in the past year alone, exceeding its targets in every area.
This is what sustained Scottish commitment looks like: practical support, strong partnerships and measurable impact - helping mothers, babies and families build safer, healthier futures.
