How schools and communities are changing the course of malaria
In the remote village of Namatiti in southern Malawi, malaria was part of daily life. For schoolchildren it meant missed lessons, long walks to distant health clinics, and, at times, dangerous delays in treatment.
At school, sick children queued in a cramped teachers’ office, waiting for care.
“Sometimes a child would be unwell, but you couldn’t attend to them immediately because the room was in use. It delayed care, and that was frustrating,” said Deputy Headteacher Omar Nseula.
The response came from the community itself. Parents and elders built a dedicated health block, while Chief Muchilani donated land for maize to support school meals. “No child should be sick and hungry at the same time,” he said.
For students, the changes have turned school into a place of both care and learning. “Before, we had to walk 11 kilometres to the nearest health centre. Now, with treatment here at school, our parents save money and time,” said 16 year old Isaac.
Fourteen year old Tereza added:
We used to end classes early because we were too weak to learn. Now I stay in class the whole day. I eat. I learn.
By July 2025, 600 teachers trained as Learner Treatment Kit Dispensers had treated more than 99,374 children in Machinga and Zomba. In Machinga alone, 120 schools (over half the district’s total) were part of the program. More than ten schools have since built their own learner treatment rooms with community support. Officials report that severe malaria cases are falling as children are treated earlier. “We used to receive children in critical condition, now many are treated early, right at school. Children are taking what they learn back home,” said Dr Jones Chise, Director of Health and Social Services.
The initiative is now embedded in Malawi’s health and education systems. National guidelines and training manuals have been finalised, ministries have pledged continued support, and the University of Malawi is developing a digital platform for real time monitoring. “Absenteeism is down. Performance is up. Even teachers say they now know how to care for their own families better because of the training,” said Douglas Namikungulu, Chief Education Officer for Machinga.
Across Malawi’s schools, Save the Children is training teachers to diagnose and treat malaria through its Learner Treatment Kit program. By reaching children directly in schools , the model is reducing illness and absenteeism while demonstrating the value of integrating health and education.
