In its effort to continue showing commitment to the dialogue between researchers and communities, MLW through its Maternal and Fetal Health Group organised a Patients and Public Involvement (PPI) meeting on 18 October 2021.

This meeting also served as a study orientation for the public steering committee of the Active and Prevention Treatment of Maternal Sepsis (APT Sepsis) and Lactate study under Maternal and Fetal Health Group. This steering committee consists of citizens from the study sites who have input from protocol development, data collection, analysis, and dissemination.

Project Manager for Maternal and Fetal Health Group Bertha Maseko said the health research should be seen as collaboration with participants and communities. Public opinion in research is vital because it has the influence to shape research in a way that benefits both the community and the researchers.

Apart from other important issues which were discussed during the meeting, the steering committee members were given a platform to air out their concerns strategies that can best work the studies in their various communities.

Being involved in research, according to one of the steering committee members George Salijeni, is about being a member of the research team that works together to design and run the study.

“Through my involvement in this study, I have observed the possibilities of enhancing my capacity on issues surrounding the study because the approaches being used have listening elements to incorporate views from the public and can easily be adopted,” Salijeni added.

The meeting hosted about 20 steering committee members. More refresher trainings are being organised by the research group.