Chitetezo: Improving adolescent road safety and reducing road traffic collisions.
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Stirling
Department Name: Health Sciences
Abstract
Up to 1.4 million people are killed each year as a result of road traffic collisions. Over 90% of these collisions happen in low and middle-income countries. Between 20 to 50 million people are injured but survive, often with life-changing disabilities. Young people are particularly vulnerable road users. In fact, young people are more likely to die from a road collision in Africa than any other single cause. Within Africa, Malawi has one of the highest rates of road traffic collision in the region.
Current approaches to dealing with road traffic safety are not working. To date, almost no research has been undertaken looking at community-based ways of reducing road traffic collision with young people in low and middle-income countries.
We have been working to improve road safety in Malawi. In this study we will assess whether an intervention called Chitetezo (a Malawian phrase meaning "Protected") improves young people's road safety and reduces the number of road traffic collisions. We co-developed Chitetezo in collaboration with two young Malawian artists and the school management of one school in Blantyre, Malawi. Chitetezo involves young leaders working with other young people to improve understanding about road safety and their human right to live in a safe environment. The young people create large picture murals as part of this process: one which depicts the current road environment in their local community and its dangers; and another mural that shows the personal and environmental changes they would like to occur and believe would lead to reductions in road traffic collisions. The young people then host an exhibition to which they invite members of the local community and local government. During the exhibition, the young people present their murals and lead the adults in a discussion of the problems they have observed, as well as some potential solutions. The idea is that the discussions between young people and adults will lead to decisions being made to improve their local road safety infrastructure. We tested Chitetezo in one school in Blantyre, and found that young people enjoyed taking part and found it fully acceptable. Furthermore, there is some evidence that road safety infrastructural changes to improve road safety occurred 3 months later, as a direct result of the intervention being delivered.
This study Chitetezo will be run in 10 other schools around Blantyre. We will collect data to measure whether or not it makes a difference to the road safety behaviour of young people and the local road safety infrastructure. We will speak to young people about their experience of taking part in the intervention, or learning about it happening in their school. We will work together with young people collecting information on the environmental impact of the road infrastructure and young people's road safety behavior, both before and after the intervention takes place. We will also carry out an analysis of all the data on road collisions that are routinely collected by the Malawian Road Traffic Safety Service. This data will help us understand whether or not the intervention has made a difference to the number of road traffic collision over time.
Current approaches to dealing with road traffic safety are not working. To date, almost no research has been undertaken looking at community-based ways of reducing road traffic collision with young people in low and middle-income countries.
We have been working to improve road safety in Malawi. In this study we will assess whether an intervention called Chitetezo (a Malawian phrase meaning "Protected") improves young people's road safety and reduces the number of road traffic collisions. We co-developed Chitetezo in collaboration with two young Malawian artists and the school management of one school in Blantyre, Malawi. Chitetezo involves young leaders working with other young people to improve understanding about road safety and their human right to live in a safe environment. The young people create large picture murals as part of this process: one which depicts the current road environment in their local community and its dangers; and another mural that shows the personal and environmental changes they would like to occur and believe would lead to reductions in road traffic collisions. The young people then host an exhibition to which they invite members of the local community and local government. During the exhibition, the young people present their murals and lead the adults in a discussion of the problems they have observed, as well as some potential solutions. The idea is that the discussions between young people and adults will lead to decisions being made to improve their local road safety infrastructure. We tested Chitetezo in one school in Blantyre, and found that young people enjoyed taking part and found it fully acceptable. Furthermore, there is some evidence that road safety infrastructural changes to improve road safety occurred 3 months later, as a direct result of the intervention being delivered.
This study Chitetezo will be run in 10 other schools around Blantyre. We will collect data to measure whether or not it makes a difference to the road safety behaviour of young people and the local road safety infrastructure. We will speak to young people about their experience of taking part in the intervention, or learning about it happening in their school. We will work together with young people collecting information on the environmental impact of the road infrastructure and young people's road safety behavior, both before and after the intervention takes place. We will also carry out an analysis of all the data on road collisions that are routinely collected by the Malawian Road Traffic Safety Service. This data will help us understand whether or not the intervention has made a difference to the number of road traffic collision over time.
Technical Summary
Current approaches to prevent road traffic collisions (RTC) among adolescents are not working. We have developed and feasibility tested a novel peer-led prevention intervention (Chitetezo) to improve adolescent road safety, through changing behaviours and reducing RTC around schools in Malawi. Our overall study objective is to investigate if Chitetezo can reduce RTC around schools in Malawi. The study has an explanatory mixed-methods design. It incorporates both process evaluation and quasi-experimental elements across 10 schools. We will conducted four interconnected work packages (WP). In WP1 we will use participatory co-design methods to refine intervention components and hypothesised programme theory using recently gathered feasibility data. We will co-develop intervention materials for WP2. Schools will be purposively selected based on geographical dispersion, proximity to tarmacked roads, high traffic density and frequent collisions. Participants (n=8 per school) will be purposively selected using maximum diversity sampling. A mixed-method multiple case study process evaluation, informed by realist evaluation methods, will be undertaken, with each school being a case. In WP3 we will investigate Chitetezo's impact on behaviour, road safety infrastructure, and RTC. Three complementary data collection approaches will be used: i) a citizen science project with adolescents to evaluate the level of non-reported RTC; ii) participatory mapping activities to capture local knowledge about road traffic risks, and road safety behaviours; and iii) an interrupted time series (ITS) to analyse RTC around participating schools using an ongoing routine dataset (from 2003). The effectiveness of Chitetezo will be evaluated using a comparative interrupted time series (ITS) analysis. Data from each WP will be combined in a triangulation matrix to investigate convergence and divergence to answer the overall research objective. WP4 will focus on dissemination and legacy planning.
Planned Impact
KEY BENEFICIARIES
This study will deliver a variety of key impacts for a range of beneficiaries including:
- Adolescents and other members of the public in Malawi and other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), many of whom are classified as vulnerable road users (i.e. pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike users). In the short-term this will occur with the adolescents who are engaged in the study. In the medium term this impact will be extended to schools across Malawi and in the longer term to other LMIC.
- Schools and their local communities (again, initially those taking part in the research and then further afield in Malawi and other LMIC).
- The 35 Malawian local government authorities and relevant Malawian Government ministries (Health, Education, Science and Technology, and Transport and Public Works).
- Non-governmental international agencies (including The World Bank; The United Nations Road Safety Collaboration; UNICEF; College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa).
- The international interdisciplinary academic community working to understand the most effective ways to prevent and respond to road traffic collisions and their consequences.
KEY IMPACTS
1. Reduced road traffic collisions as a consequence of:
i. Increased adolescent awareness of positive road safety behaviour:
In the short-term there will be increased awareness of positive road safety behaviours among adolescents in the participating schools and local communities, and affordable improvements made to the road infrastructure. This will lead to improved road safety behaviour adcn safer and therefore reduced incidence of collisions involving adolescents (and other road users), resultant injuries and fatalities over the intermediate- to long-term in LMIC. This will facilitate an enhancement of economic productivity by reducing income lost due to unemployment as a result of road trauma injuries.
ii. Improved infrastructure and policy:
We envisage that the study will lead to road infrastructure safety improvements around school communities where there are high densities of adolescents and children. Our study will inform and influence Malawian government ministries as well as the policies of international agencies that have a focus on road safety and reducing road traffic collisions effecting adolescents and the wider community.
2. Increased capacity:
We will build research capacity and capability of Malawian early career researchers (the study researcher and a local co-investigator) who are part of the study team. Both young leaders who will deliver the intervention will develop skills in team leadership, teaching and communication of adolescents. We will also develop capacity and capability in leadership, communication skills and citizen science expertise among young people who participate in the citizen science data collection exercises described in work package 3.
Up to 80 young people will directly participate in the intervention, through which they will develop an increased understanding of the challenges of road safety in Malawi, analytical skills as they consider what road infrastructure improvement is required in their local environment. A further 80 young people will gain training and experience as citizen scientists through which they will develop capability in understanding road traffic issues, data gathering and reporting. Collectively, these adolescent-focused impacts will enhance the life and management skill capacity of young leaders and improve their future employability.
3. Partnership building:
The research will facilitate an increased engagement between adolescents and both their local communities and local government. The young people that participate in the research will develop an increased capability to engage in intergenerational decision-making, thereby developing inclusive and sustainable rights-based partnerships between adolescents and civic and political leaders
This study will deliver a variety of key impacts for a range of beneficiaries including:
- Adolescents and other members of the public in Malawi and other low- and middle-income countries (LMIC), many of whom are classified as vulnerable road users (i.e. pedestrians, cyclists and motorbike users). In the short-term this will occur with the adolescents who are engaged in the study. In the medium term this impact will be extended to schools across Malawi and in the longer term to other LMIC.
- Schools and their local communities (again, initially those taking part in the research and then further afield in Malawi and other LMIC).
- The 35 Malawian local government authorities and relevant Malawian Government ministries (Health, Education, Science and Technology, and Transport and Public Works).
- Non-governmental international agencies (including The World Bank; The United Nations Road Safety Collaboration; UNICEF; College of Surgeons of East, Central and Southern Africa).
- The international interdisciplinary academic community working to understand the most effective ways to prevent and respond to road traffic collisions and their consequences.
KEY IMPACTS
1. Reduced road traffic collisions as a consequence of:
i. Increased adolescent awareness of positive road safety behaviour:
In the short-term there will be increased awareness of positive road safety behaviours among adolescents in the participating schools and local communities, and affordable improvements made to the road infrastructure. This will lead to improved road safety behaviour adcn safer and therefore reduced incidence of collisions involving adolescents (and other road users), resultant injuries and fatalities over the intermediate- to long-term in LMIC. This will facilitate an enhancement of economic productivity by reducing income lost due to unemployment as a result of road trauma injuries.
ii. Improved infrastructure and policy:
We envisage that the study will lead to road infrastructure safety improvements around school communities where there are high densities of adolescents and children. Our study will inform and influence Malawian government ministries as well as the policies of international agencies that have a focus on road safety and reducing road traffic collisions effecting adolescents and the wider community.
2. Increased capacity:
We will build research capacity and capability of Malawian early career researchers (the study researcher and a local co-investigator) who are part of the study team. Both young leaders who will deliver the intervention will develop skills in team leadership, teaching and communication of adolescents. We will also develop capacity and capability in leadership, communication skills and citizen science expertise among young people who participate in the citizen science data collection exercises described in work package 3.
Up to 80 young people will directly participate in the intervention, through which they will develop an increased understanding of the challenges of road safety in Malawi, analytical skills as they consider what road infrastructure improvement is required in their local environment. A further 80 young people will gain training and experience as citizen scientists through which they will develop capability in understanding road traffic issues, data gathering and reporting. Collectively, these adolescent-focused impacts will enhance the life and management skill capacity of young leaders and improve their future employability.
3. Partnership building:
The research will facilitate an increased engagement between adolescents and both their local communities and local government. The young people that participate in the research will develop an increased capability to engage in intergenerational decision-making, thereby developing inclusive and sustainable rights-based partnerships between adolescents and civic and political leaders
| Title | Chitetezo Engagement event |
| Description | A public engagement event attended by around 50 adult participants andover 20 young people was held at Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in Blantyre, Malawi in February 2024. At this event the art work generated by 16 young people from two schools in Blantyre were presented to a number of adult stakeholders from a range of government, public and private sectors, as well as from NGO organisations and a number of natioanl and international donor agencies. The artistic products were the creation of 4 large murals (2 from each school), two that depicted the road traffic and enivornment challenges for young people in their local communities (one from each school) and two murals that depicited the young poepl's envisoned safe future |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The artistic products genreated intergeneratioanl and interagency dialogues about the policy and practice implications of what the young people had depicited so strongly thorugh their artwork. There was a commitment between agencies at the end of the session to meet and discuss what practical changes could be made to the local road infrastructure surrounding these school areas. |
| Title | Chitetezo Intergenerational Event Film |
| Description | The film provides an overview of a typical intergenerational stakeholder engagement event. This event, held in September 2024, featured young people presenting their murals to key stakeholders, including road safety authorities, the police, and decision-makers. The young people highlighted the challenges they face and proposed potential solutions. The presentation sparked intergenerational and cross-stakeholder discussions on the changes needed to improve the safety of young people and reduce traffic collisions. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The film was shared in both Malawi and Scotland, sparking discussions on the need to reduce traffic collisions and improve the safety of young people in Malawi. It has also raised awareness of the challenges faced by young people in Malawi. |
| Title | Chitetezo Project Pamphlet |
| Description | The pamphlet featured an artistic illustration and explanation of the Chitetezo project. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The pamphlets have been widely distributed in both Malawi and Scotland, helping to raise awareness about the project, its objectives, and the road safety challenges faced by young people in Malawi. |
| Title | Chitetezo data collection activities film |
| Description | The film provides an overview of the Chitetezo data collection process and activities in schools, including murals/art development sessions led by the young people involved in the project, with support from youth peer facilitators. In the film, the young people explain and elaborate on the stories behind their murals, while the peer facilitators describe the process and their role in working with the youth. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The film has been shared in both Malawi and Scotland, providing a better understanding of the Chitetezo project's approach. It has helped stimulate discussions and raise awareness of the road safety challenges faced by young people in Malawi. |
| URL | https://saferoadsafrica.com/filmseries/ |
| Title | Chitetezo intergenerational stakeholder engagement event, Blantyre, Malawi |
| Description | An intergenerational stakeholder engagement event was held at the Malawi University of Business and Applied Sciences (MUBAS) in Blantyre, Malawi, on the 26th of September 2024. The event was attended by approximately 50 adult participants and over 30 young people. During the event, artwork created by 32 young people from four schools in Blantyre was presented to a diverse group of stakeholders, including representatives from government, public and private sectors, NGOs, and various national and international donor agencies. The artistic outputs consisted of 4 large murals (one from each school). The murals illustrated the road traffic and environmental challenges faced by young people in their local communities and the young people's proposed solutions and their vision for a safer future. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The artistic products generated intergenerational and interagency dialogues about the policy and practice implications of what the young people had depicted so strongly through their artwork. There was a commitment between agencies at the end of the session to meet and discuss what practical changes could be made to the local road infrastructure surrounding these school areas. |
| Title | Mapping Spatial Traffic Collisions in Blantyre Pamphlet |
| Description | The pamphlet showcased emerging insights from the spatial analysis of traffic collisions in Blantyre (Malawi), outlining the analysis process and plans for developing a digital data analysis application. This application aims to enhance data quality and enable accurate, consistent digital recording of traffic collision incidents, including tagged locations and severity levels. |
| Type Of Art | Creative Writing |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The pamphlets were widely distributed in both Malawi and Scotland to raise awareness about the project and attract potential funding from development agencies. |
| Title | Safe Roads Africa Exhibition |
| Description | The artistic products are created by young people as a visaul medium to communicate the problem of poor road infrastrcuture in their surrounding school environments. These large scale portable murals were displayed at a public exhibition in Blantyre, Malawi and at a Semina in the same city that was attended by a range of national stakeholders. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2019 |
| Impact | The exhibition and seminar led to a committed partnership between a multi-national corporation and a Mr Gerald Lipikwe, a local councillor. Together they committed to undertaking road safety infrastruture improvements surrounding two schools in Lambe, Blantyre. Within three months Councillor Lipikwe and Total Malawi had collaborated on several road infrastructure improvements around Limbe schools. Visual evidence of the murals, the exhibition and the imapct can be seen in our project blog on our Safe roads Africa Website - see url below. |
| URL | https://saferoadsafrica.com/chitetezo-preventing-young-people-dying-and-being-injured-through-road-t... |
| Description | ODA Funding |
| Amount | £20,939 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Stirling |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2024 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Title | ArcGIS Online Database |
| Description | An online platform hosting a Geographic Information System (GIS) for access by a range of users from Scotland and Malawi. This GIS contains a selection of 10 participant schools across the city of Blantyre, Malawi. This GIS database is designed to host qualitative GIS data to be collected during focus-group workshops, citizen science and participatory mapping activities in Blantyre from 2023-2025. Data will include geo-located walking interview paths, key answers and photographs, as well as digitised community mapping inputs, emotion maps and traffic survey data. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The database will enable the visualisation and spatial analysis of data collected in the field during focus-group workshops, citizen science and participatory mapping activities. Spatial patterns are highlighted through the database to reveal trends in the collected data to inform on local environmental conditions in school districts around each participating school. |
| Title | Community mapping |
| Description | The community mapping activity will involve groups of participants from focus-group workshops annotating a large community base map of the area surrounding the participants' school. They will highlight with coloured pens; areas of perceived safety, danger, road traffic collision hotspots and areas where they feel the road infrastructure should be improved. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The aim of this activity is to capture local knowledge about road traffic risks and everyday lived experiences at different stages of the interventions. The community maps will reveal geospatial patterns where overlapping areas of significance can be grouped together to highlight the importance these areas hold within the community and the reasons for their importance. |
| Title | Near-Miss Incident Reporting Board |
| Description | Reporting of near-miss or traffic collision incidents is to be carried out with a communal reporting board that will be posted in each participating school. A corresponding map will be annotated with coloured and numbered stickers, representing the spatial locations of each incident. If an incident occurs in the local school district, the following details should be recorded on the reporting board if possible; the date, time, location, a brief description of what happened, weather, road conditions and who was involved. The report board will be maintained by chosen school representatives, who will collect data from students from the rest of the school who have witnessed a traffic collision or a near miss, for the duration of the research project. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The outcome of this activity is to highlight whether under-reporting of road traffic collisions is occurring in Blantyre by road traffic officials. As well as to inform about the nature, frequency and distribution of collisions or near-misses in the local school district of each school. |
| Title | Walking Interviews |
| Description | Interviews will be conducted in pairs with one researcher accompanying the participants to record the route taken with a GPS, and ask semi-structured interview questions. The participants' answers will be recorded with a Dictaphone if permitted. Photographs will also be taken during the interview to contextualise the answers in the environment they're relating to. The interview will follow routes to and from school, and around areas of significance in the local school district. |
| Type Of Material | Data analysis technique |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The planned walking interviews will enable exploration of richer, place-based narratives around everyday aspects of traffic, including the participants' personal experiences, attitudes and aspirations. From track maps, photographs and interview answers, we can extrapolate potential solutions to the perceived dangers on roads around schools, addressing feelings of anxiety and fear with planned infrastructure development, for example, installing a pedestrian crossing system. |
| Description | Meeting with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) in Lilongwe, Malawi |
| Organisation | Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | The Chitetezo team met with key development agencies in Lilongwe, at a meeting hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), at the British High Commission on the 23rd of September 2024. The FCDO had previously learnt about the Chitetezo project's work on road safety awareness raising in schools and road traffic collision spatial data analysis in Blantyre, through the 'Safe Roads Africa' website where the project team regularly posts updates on ongoing activities. Reducing road traffic injuries and deaths is part of FCDO's ending preventable deaths policy. The team was invited to present its work to FCDO and other institutions working on different aspects of road safety in Malawi such as the World Bank, LION Hospital and the Traction programme. The focus of the meeting was to understand the various road safety initiatives underway in Malawi and explore opportunities for collaboration, including potential funding options to roll out Chitetezo to more schools and improve traffic collision digital data collection. The meeting attendees agreed to continue fostering collaboration and to align efforts with ongoing initiatives aimed improving road safety in Malawi. Since then, the Chitetezo team has continued its collaborative meetings with FCDO, exploring potential funding opportunities to expand Chitetezo to more schools and develop a digital application for collecting road traffic collision data. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The FCDO hosted our meeting at the British High Commission in Lilongwe, Malawi, and connected the project with other agencies, such as the World Bank, that are working on road safety issues in Malawi. |
| Impact | The project developed a funding concept note, which the FCDO was considering. However, due to unexpected changes in USAID, the FCDO had to reprioritize its funding to address critical areas in Malawi and was unable to commit to this project. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Safe Roads Africa Partnership |
| Organisation | First Aid Africa |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Our well established Safe Roads Africa (SRA) partnership (https://saferoadsafrica.com/), works to develop sustainable and scalable solutions to road traffic related trauma in sub-Saharan Africa. Safe Roads Africa began as a partnership between our interdisciplinary research team, the Malawian Road Traffic Authority (RTA), Road Traffic Police (RTP), the Malawian Fire Service, Traditional Leaders, The Minibus Drivers Association of Malawi, The Malawi Red Cross, and with over 100 members of two local communities in Southern Malawi (Bangwe West and Domasi). It later extended its reach to partner organisations in Zambia. Recognising the applicability of SRA to other sub-Saharan nations, I conducted a week long scoping visit to Lusaka, Chibombo and Kabwe in Zambia in March 2019, where I met with a similar range of stakeholders and local communities. A key collaboration developed during that visit was with First Aid Africa, an established provider of internationally recognised emergency first aid training to local communities, with established bases in Malawi, Zambia, Tanzania and beyond. First Aid Africa joined the SRA partnership for our final Lab in Malawi. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Over the last two years the SRA partners have developed an in-depth understanding of the contextual challenges of delivering a first-aid response to road traffic collisions. A week-long capacity building event involving During September 2018 we held a week long capacity building event involving Scottish and Malawian members of the research team was held in 2018. This was followed by in Scotland. We then held three highky participatory and interdisciplinary week-long events (known as Labs), in December 2018 and and February and October 2019, in Southern Malawi (Blantyre region) with UK and Malawian partners. Each Lab lasted a week. During these Labs we collected large amounts of qualitative data from members of local communities, held participatory design workshops with our SRA partners and held research team meetings to develop our shared understanding of the problem and potential solutions. |
| Impact | First Aid Africa ( a project partners) delivered in kind internationally accredited first aid training to 42 members of the local commuities (Bnagwe and Domasi) with whom we have an ongoing partnership. A project grant application to the MRC Applied Global Health Research Fund is under development. The collaboration is highly interdisciplinary and includes: applied health scientists, qualitative researchers, paramedic, emergency physician, Public and Population Health, Global Health, Health design, Trauma consultants (Scotland and Malawi), communication and behavioural change (Malawian context) |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Safe Roads Africa partnership |
| Organisation | University of Malawi |
| Country | Malawi |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | As a result of the RTrT award an interdisciplinary partnership entitles Safe Roads Africa was set up, led by Dr Edward Duncan and with academic and practice partners in the UK and Malawi. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partners engage in implementation activities with agencies in Malawi and grant funding applications to funders such as the MRC and NIHR |
| Impact | Impact activities to improve road traffic safety in Blantyre, Malawi in which funding was gained form TOTAL Malawi to support improvements to the road infrastructure, following a study engagement event. Grant applications to the MRC (£746000, successful) and NIHR (c.£1.9million, submitted) for further work to manage and respond to road traffic related trauma. |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Title | Digital road traffic data collection application for Malawian Road Traffic Police |
| Description | A Beta application has been developed to share with Malawian Road Traffic Police and Directorate of Road Transport and Safety Services (DRTSS) that (with sufficient capital investment to provide Police with digial devices) would be used to increase the quality of road traffic data collection in Malawi. |
| Type Of Technology | Webtool/Application |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | This Beta application will be shared wiht DRTSS and Malawian Traffic Police and incollabroation with both agencies be used in future funding applications to improve digital road traffci data collection in Malawi. |
| Description | A seminar on Chitetzo as an example of multi level behaviour change |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | A seminar was presented to appximately 20 clincial doctorate students using Chitetezo and the RtRT programme as examplars of multi level behavioural change interventions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | A talk on behaviour change at a sytems level using Chitetezo as an example |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 20+ doctoral students participated in a workshop/seminar about behaviour change. Chitetezo was presented as an example of a study using a multifacted theory-based approach to make larege system change. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Chitetezo project TV breakfast show |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | A member of the Chitetezo project team (Lusizi Kambalame) was invited for an interview on a national TV (channel TV) breakfast show in Malawi to talk about the project's aims, activities and stakeholder engagement events. The stakeholder engagement events bring young people together with policymakers, road safety authorities, and traditional leaders for intergenerational dialogues on road safety challenges faced by Malawian youth and potential solutions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Collaborative meeting with Road Safety Authorities in Malawi. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Following the initial meeting and seminar with the Directorate of Road Traffic and Safety Services (DRTSS) in February 2024, the Chitetezo team held a follow up meeting with DRTSS officials in Lilongwe on the 23rd of September 2024. The purpose of the meeting was to explore further collaboration on improving road safety data collection processes. The Chitetezo project's traffic collision spatial data analysis highlighted challenges in data quality and underscored the potential benefits of adopting digital geospatial data collection and analysis. During the meeting, these challenges were reaffirmed, with discussions emphasizing the need for a more efficient and reliable process for collecting road traffic collision data. The Chitetezo team proposed potential solutions, including securing additional funding to develop a user-friendly mobile application. This app would enable police officers to digitally record incidents with greater accuracy and consistency, tag precise locations, and document the severity of collisions. Feedback from the meeting supported the idea, noting that such an app could be a viable solution if it is affordable, simple to use, and accessible even in areas with limited network or Wi-Fi coverage. Additionally, the meeting highlighted the importance of training police officers and DRTSS staff in the use of open-source geospatial analysis programmes. This training would enable sustainable analysis of digital road traffic collision data and help prioritise resources for areas with the greatest need. The Chitetezo team agreed to continue engaging with DRTSS and other possible funders such as the World Bank to secure funding for scaling up the project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Collaborative meeting with the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office in Lilongwe, Malawi. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | On the 23rd of September 2024, the Chitetezo team met with the FCDO at the British Consulate in Lilongwe, to present the project and discuss our response to road traffic collisions in Malawi. The meeting was attended by key stakeholders, including representatives from the World Bank. The intention of the meeting was to understand the various road safety initiatives underway in Malawi and explore opportunities for collaboration, including potential funding options to roll out and implement Chitetezo in more schools and improve traffic collision digital data collection. Our work on road traffic collision geospatial analysis generated significant interest, particularly regarding its potential alignment with the FCDO's Ending Preventable Deaths programme/policy. The meeting agreed to continue fostering collaboration and to align efforts with ongoing initiatives aimed improving road safety in Malawi. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | In person seminar to a wide group policy practice stakeholders to present geospatial analysis of a decade of road traffic colission data in Blantrye, Malawi |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Over 30 stakehodlers form a wide variety of audiences participated in a half day seminar at which our geospatial analyses of a decade of road traffic colission data were presented. The policy and practice implications of these data were discussed and agreement was made to continue the collaboration. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Intergenerational dialogue stakeholder engagement event in Blantyre, Malawi |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The project team hosted the 1st stakeholder engagement event on the 6th of February 2024 in Blanytre, Malawi . This was an intergenerational dialogue between pupils from Chichiri and Jacaranda primary schools and key stakeholders in Blantyre. In total 55 stakeholders from sectors such as the traffic police, Blantyre city council, NGOs, private sector, Ministry of Education, road users and traditional leaders among others attended the event. The pupils from Chichiri and Jacaranda primary schools advocated for improved road safety through increased investment, behaviour change and policy improvements. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Meeting with the Secretary of State for Scotland |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Prof Edward Duncan was part of the Scotland Malawi Partnership delegation that met with the Secretary of State for Scotland on the 9th of January 2025. The delegation shared diverse examples of partnership working between Scotland and Malawi to address various systemic challenges in Malawi. Prof Edward Duncan, talked about the Chitetezo project and the partnership work with colleagues in Malawi. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Presentation of study to a group of Clinical Doctorate Students in the University of Stirling |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 15 postgraduate students stuydying participation methods took part in a half day workshop at thwihc Chitetzo weas presented. A Q&A session followed. Workshop received very positive feedback. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Presentation to the Scottish Graduate School of Social Science |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | Approximately 60 post graduate students attended an online seminar on participatory research methods. I presented on the use of participatory intervention development in global health contexts. There were several questions afterwards and considerable discussion on the use of participatory methods in global health, and some of the environmental challenges of undertaking global health research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Project Website |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | We developed a study website http://saferoadsafrica.com that provides an overview of our activites and proejcts that have devloped from the Safe Roads Africa Partnership. We also micro-blogged about all our activities on Twitter linking each post together using the hashtag #saferoadsafrica Our wok has reached an internatioanl audience and as a consequence we have been appraoched by other groups who are intersted in collaborating with us in further related research. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | http://saferoadsafrica.com |
| Description | Research trip (Blantyre, Malawi), project inception and promotion |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Project inception, meeting school heads, District Education Officers, holding stakeholder meetings and workshops. The Stirling-based research team visited Blantyre, Malawi for a week in early January to meet with the Malawi partners collaborating on the Chitetezo project. The purpose of the trip was conceive and refine the project plan and to promote participation with Chitetezo to local stakeholders. During our time there, ten candidate schools were agreed upon with the research team. We then liaised with the participating school headmasters during a stakeholder meeting in which they were invited to involve students from each of their schools in the activities comprising the Chitetezo intervention. We also liaised with a District Education officer to confirm the planned research was in agreement with Malawian ethical guidelines. The next stage involves the commencement of project workshops and activities with targeted schools in Blantyre, Malawi. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Road Traffic Collision Spatial Analysis Seminar in Lilongwe, Malawi. |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | On the 9th of February 2024, the project team delivered a seminar on Road Traffic Collision Spatial Analyses in Lilongwe, Malawi. The main focus of the seminar was to present the key findings from the traffic collision spatial analysis. The seminar was attended by over 40 participants from road users, third sector and traffic enforcement representatives from sectors such as the Directorate of Road Transport and Safety Services (DRTSS), Malawian Road Traffic Police, the Minibus Driver Association, road infrastructure administrators, researchers, and road safety charities, among others. The seminar provided an opportunity to discuss the spatial analysis data findings with key stakeholders and to get their feedback. There were also discussions on potential future areas for collaboration e.g. to improve data quality, data driven decision making and accountability and transparency in Malawi. DRTSS agreed to collaborate with the Chitetezo project, funding permitting, on the development of a digital road traffic collision data collection and analysis platform. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://bit.ly/4gKdjzl |
| Description | Scotland Malawi Partnership Youth Festival |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | The Chitetezo team at the University of Stirling delivered a presentation, which included a brief film about the project, and conducted workshops with young people during the Scotland Malawi Partnership Annual Youth Festival. The event, held on the 31st of October 2024, was hosted by the University of Stirling in collaboration with the Scotland Malawi Partnership. The event aimed to share ideas and inspire new approaches to working with and supporting school partners in Malawi. Workshop sessions from the Chitetezo project and other Malawi-focused research projects at the University of Stirling highlighted the University's connections with Malawi. These sessions were designed to promote global citizenship thinking, engage young people in Scotland on topics of relevance, and support the teaching of the UN's Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) through practical, everyday applications. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://bit.ly/41Lby0D |
| Description | Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group Presentation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Chitetezo team members presented the project to the Scottish Parliament Cross Party Group at Holyrood on the 29th of May 2024.The presentation aimed to showcase the work being done in Malawi, raise awareness about the project's findings, and explore potential solutions to address the identified road safety challenges in Malawi. The presentation covered the following topics : • The Global Health Context by Prof. Liz Grant, University of Edinburgh. • An overview of the Chitetezo project by Prof. Edward Duncan, University of Stirling. • Working with young people in schools by Lusizi Kambalame, Malawi University of Business and Applied Science (MUBAS). • A 10-year spatial analysis of road traffic collision data in Blantyre, Malawi by Dr Jen Dickie, University of Stirling. The presentation sparked interest and positive feedback from the audience, leading to engaging discussions on road safety issues in Malawi. It also generated increased interest in potential funding avenues, such as implementing an improved digital spatial traffic collision data collection system and exploring other ways to enhance road safety among young people in Malawi. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://bit.ly/49Mce7S |