Malawi scales up tobacco harm reduction training as 500+ health workers complete new online CPD modules
More than 500 nurses and midwives across Malawi have received specialized training on tobacco harm reduction and smoking cessation, with the rollout of new online Continuous Professional Development modules now making the knowledge accessible nationwide through the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi platform.
The modules, deployed under the Global Action-funded project “Enhancing Tobacco Harm Reduction and Smoke Cessation in Malawi: Strengthening Frontline Health Worker Training, Continuous Professional Development and Smoke Screening Protocols in Health Facilities,” are being implemented by the Center for Development Management and Consulting, CDMC.
The online CPD launch follows months of intensive facility-based trainings conducted across 80 health facilities nationwide. Those sessions reached over 500 frontline health workers, equipping them with skills to identify tobacco use, deliver brief counselling, support patients to quit smoking, and integrate smoke screening into routine clinical services.
By migrating the content to the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi online CPD platform, CDMC says it is closing the access gap for health workers in remote and understaffed facilities. Nurses and midwives can now complete the training at their own pace without leaving their duty stations.
Tobacco use remains one of Malawi’s leading preventable public health risks, driving non-communicable diseases, straining household incomes and adding pressure to an already burdened health system. Nurses and midwives, who often serve as the first point of contact in hospitals, health centres, maternity wards, chronic care clinics and community settings, are uniquely positioned to intervene early.
“Many patients interact with nurses and midwives during routine care, but tobacco use is not always screened or discussed. These modules are intended to help normalize tobacco-use screening as part of everyday clinical practice and ensure that patients who smoke receive appropriate advice and support,” a representative from the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi noted.
Speaking on the initiative, CDMC Program Manager Alexander Thomas Mboma said the digital rollout is critical for maintaining momentum from the facility trainings.
“This project has already reached over 500 frontline health workers across 80 health facilities in Malawi. By deploying these modules on the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi online CPD platform, we are expanding access to practical knowledge on tobacco harm reduction, smoking cessation, and smoke screening protocols for nurses and midwives across the country,” Mboma said.
The modules cover essential areas including the health effects of smoking, principles of tobacco harm reduction, smoking cessation counselling, brief intervention techniques, patient communication, relapse prevention, and integration of smoke screening into routine service delivery.
Mboma added that the initiative is also expected to strengthen the adoption of smoke screening protocols in health facilities, creating a systematic way for providers to identify patients who smoke and link them to timely counselling or referral.
Health systems expert, John Nepiyala, commended CDMC and its partners for the move, saying it addresses a long-standing gap in Malawi’s tobacco control response.
“I commend the organization for this initiative. For years we have talked about the burden of tobacco-related illnesses, but frontline health workers have lacked standardized, accessible training to act on it. Taking these modules online means a nurse in a rural health centre in Karonga or a midwife in Nsanje can get the same quality training as someone in Lilongwe,” Nepiyala said.
He noted that integrating tobacco screening into routine care is low-cost but high-impact.
“When a nurse asks a pregnant woman about smoking, or a clinician screens a patient with hypertension for tobacco use, that simple conversation can change a life. This initiative gives health workers the confidence and tools to have those conversations,” Nepiyala added.
The project demonstrates how digital CPD can complement in-person training and scale health workforce capacity quickly. With Malawi facing a shortage of health workers, the online model allows thousands more nurses and midwives to be reached without disrupting service delivery.
All registered nurses and midwives can now access the modules by logging into the Nurses and Midwives Council of Malawi online CPD platform. CDMC and the Council are encouraging health workers to complete the training and immediately apply the knowledge in clinical and community health work.
For Mboma, the impact goes beyond certificates.
“Every nurse or midwife who completes these modules is another frontline defender against tobacco-related harm. That’s how we reduce preventable illness, protect families and strengthen our health system,” he said.
With over 500 health workers already trained and digital access now open nationwide, Malawi is taking a decisive step toward embedding tobacco harm reduction and cessation support into everyday healthcare.
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