title: Qualitative evaluation of paediatric burn injury in Malawi: assessing opportunities for injury prevention.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The burden of burn injury in sub-Saharan Africa is high and children bare a disproportional share of the injury burden.
  
  
  METHODS
  This is a prospective qualitative study of paediatric burn survivors (age, ≤8 years) admitted to Kamuzu Central Hospital (KCH) in Lilongwe, Malawi.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were a total of 72 guardians interviewed for the purpose of the study. The most frequent mechanisms of burn injury were flames and scalds in 44.4% and 38.9%, respectively. Mothers were present at the time of the burn injury in only 23.6% of cases, while 22.2% of children were unmonitored at the time of injury. A total of 55.6% of burn injuries was cooking-related.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Burn prevention strategies are necessary for addressing the high rates of burns for children in sub-Saharan Africa. The must be focused on mothers and caregivers burn education in the home, particularly as it relates to cooking and parental oversight.
authors.affiliation: Undergraduate student, Gillings School of Global Public Health, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Marissa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bane
authors.affiliation: Student and data clerk, UNC-Project Malawi, Lilongwe, Malawi.
authors.forename: Ruth
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Kaima
authors.affiliation: Burn Surgeon, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Suzgo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mapala
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA.
authors.forename: Bruce
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Cairns
authors.affiliation: Associate Professor of Surgery, Kamuzu Central Hospital, Lilongwe, Malawi; Department of Surgery, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA anthchar@med.unc.edu.
authors.forename: Anthony
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Charles
mesh_terms: D000061:Accidents, Home / Q000517:prevention & control; D002056:Burns / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017028:Caregivers; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006266:Health Education; D006760:Hospitalization / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D006776:Hospitals, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007407:Interviews as Topic; D008295:Malawi / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D011446:Prospective Studies; D036301:Qualitative Research; D012189:Retrospective Studies
keywords: Burn injury in children; Malawi; burn prevention; burns in sub-Saharan Africa