RGHI Fellow

About Me

My research is driven by the pressing hygiene and sanitation challenges faced by low- and middle-income countries, particularly in households and public settings such as schools. I employ mixed-methods approaches to explore the impact of compromised water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and climate change on hand hygiene, food hygiene, mental health, child health, and behaviors. My work not only seeks to understand these issues but also to translate findings into actionable policies and practices through engagement with policymakers.

Over the years, I have collaborated with various global institutions, including the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, University of Strathclyde, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology (Eawag), Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Zurich (ETH), University of Stirling, and Malawi Liverpool Wellcome Trust (MLW). These partnerships have been instrumental in advancing research that addresses critical gaps in WASH interventions.

Current Research Projects

• Early Childhood Development Centre (ECDC) Project: ECDCs play a vital role in child development, yet WASH issues in these settings remain largely neglected within Malawi’s education system. My research focuses on identifying and implementing simple, scalable interventions to improve hygiene behaviors among pupils, child caretakers, and kitchen staff, ensuring healthier environments for early childhood learning.
• Healthcare Facility WASH (GWS) Project: Despite its crucial role in patient care and the daily functioning of healthcare facilities, hygiene in healthcare settings remains a neglected component of the Malawian healthcare system. Our research aims to generate essential evidence on hygiene conditions nationwide, inform the development of national WASH standards for healthcare facilities, and position GWS as a priority issue in national infection prevention and control (IPC) guideline development processes.

Key Research Interests:

• Hygiene and Sanitation
• Behavior Change
• Public Health Interventions
• Climate Change and WASH