Malawi In-Country Update

Earlier this month, our Executive Director, Sam Stephens, had a chance to visit one of our distribution partnerships in Malawi. The project is a collaborative effort between Global Soap, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and other leading health organizations, providing soap and hygiene education to more than 5,000 pregnant women and their families each month.

In Malawi, diarrhea and pneumonia are the leading cause of death in children, and the second leading cause of death in adults — and handwashing with soap is the most effective way to prevent those deaths. As part of the program — which focuses on education to improve health in the short term, while sustaining those results locally over time — Global Soap shipped 120,000 bars of soap to Malawi last year. So far, the outcomes are very encouraging. Diarrheal disease rates have decreased sharply, while overall community health has improved significantly. Perhaps most importantly, the program helps the recipients instill handwashing as a lifestyle routine, meaning they’ll continue to access soap locally and use it regularly after they complete the program. We’re delighted to be a part of such a great program improving health and saving lives in rural Malawi — and we’re grateful for your support in making it possible!