BSc, MRM, MPH, PhD
Florence has a degree in Nursing and midwifery Education, a Masters in Public Health (MPH) from University of Malawi, a PhD in Tropical Medicine with specialisation on maternal health from University of Liverpool in 2014. She joined the Centre for Maternal and Newborn Health (CMNH) in 2014 as a Senior Research Associate where her responsibilities include:
- Leading on primary and implementation research and technical assistance in maternal and newborn health
- Teaching postgraduates and supervising masters and doctoral students’ dissertations in global maternal and newborn health
Prior to joining LSTM, Florence was a Lecturer in public health at the University of Malawi.
She is a public health researcher with over 17 years international clinical and research experience. She has a strong operations and mixed methods research background and her research work has focused on strengthening health systems to improve the quality of care for mothers and babies in low- and middle-income countries. Her research interest is on strengthening heath systems and community to improve quality of care for mothers and babies including sexual reproductive health.
She has expertise in designing, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of quality improvement interventions in maternal and newborn health (MNH) (both at facility and community level); capacity development, coaching and mentoring of healthcare providers in MNH interventions, collaborations and providing technical assistance and policy development advice to national governments and non-government organizations on sexual reproductive health.
Florence has conducted research and provided technical assistance in Ghana, Malawi, Kenya and Nigeria
Teaching
Florence has over 17 years of experience in teaching undergraduate and postgraduate medical students, nurse midwives and healthcare assistants in low resource setting. She currently on: on the master’s in international public health (Sexual and Reproductive Health), Quality improvement in Maternal and newborn health (TROP 972), Key Concepts in Sexual and Reproductive Health (TROP 923), Key concepts in maternal and neonatal health (TROP 924), Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (DTMNH), Diploma on Sexual Reproductive Health (DSRH), Diploma in reproductive health in developing countries (DSRH), Diploma in Tropical Nursing (DTN). Project/essay supervision and marking University of Liverpool LIFE 363), Dissertation Supervision, PhD and Masters students.
Administration/management:
- Module Convener for Key Concepts in Sexual and Reproductive Health (TROP 923)
- Has been module convener for Quality improvement in Maternal and newborn health (TROP 972)
- Board of Studies Membership (DSRH, and MiPH).
Professional Memberships
- Nursing and Midwifery council, UK
- Nurses and Midwives Council, Malawi
- Malawi Nurses Association
- Royal College of Nurses, UK
- Sigma theta Tau International
Current research/projects
- Using standard based audit to improve the quality of maternal and newborn health in a low resource setting ( Randomised Stepped wedge trial), ISRCTN 35639S
- Crossed randomised stepped wedge trial to assess the effectiveness of standards-based audit and healthcare provider training on the availability and quality of Antenatal (ANC) and Postnatal Care (PNC) in Togo
- Quality of care Study- Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria and Togo
- Quality Improvement Malawi and Nigeria
- Systematic review on Indicators to measure quality of care in maternal and newborn health
Florence has carried out operations research and academic research on maternal health, including research at the community level and programme evaluations in both middle- and lower-income countries.
In preparation or submitted publications
- Mgawadere F., Maua J., Mutuku J., Gichuru S., Muchemi O, van den Broek N. Quality care during child birth: Women and health care provider’s perspective in a low resource setting. (Kenya) BMJ-Quality and safety
- de Vries. L, Mgawadere F.,Smith H., van den Broek N 3_Context factors influencing quality improvement in maternal and newborn health: a descriptive study in 5 districts of Malawi: BMJ Quality and Safety
- Mgawadere F, Smith H, Mathai, Muriithi F, van den Broek N. Tracking all deaths of women of reproductive. Exploring a better option for capturing maternal deaths in low resource settings. Plos one medicine. Pending
- Aminu M., Mgawadere F., Tancred R, Smith H., Muriithi M., van den Broek N. indicators to measure quality of care in maternal and newborn health. A systematic review
- Bar-Zeev S, Pyone T, Mgawadere F, D’Aquino L, Rosato M, Kachale F, Van den Broek N. Community perceptions of health care seeking behaviours by pregnant women and children under five in Central Malawi: A qualitative study (BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth)