Work done by Astellic and its Members

The Challenge

Three major faith-based institutions — Blantyre Synod, Livingstonia Synod, and Evangelical Association of Malawi — required their SRHR policies reviewed and updated to align with national and international frameworks while maintaining cultural and religious sensitivity.

The Work Done

Led policy review and revision for all three institutions. Conducted in-depth desk reviews and policy benchmarking against national frameworks. Designed and facilitated stakeholder consultations and validation processes with faith leaders, youth groups, implementing partners, and government stakeholders. Coordinated professional editing and translation into English, Chichewa, and Tumbuka.

Outcome

Produced revised, publication-ready SRHR policy documents aligned with national and international frameworks, accessible across all target faith populations and linguistically inclusive.

The Challenge

The Ministry of Health needed embedded technical assistance to strengthen the 2025/26 District Implementation Planning process under Health Sector Strategic Plan III, with particular emphasis on primary healthcare for women, children, and marginalised groups.

The Work Done

Provided embedded technical assistance to the MoH Department of Planning. Supported district health teams to finalise cost-effective, risk-informed, equity-focused DIPs. Documented progress, bottlenecks, and disparities. Developed case studies on facility-to-district planning alignment. Facilitated alignment of Global Fund, Gavi, and World Bank resources with district-led planning. Engaged UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, Global Fund Principal Recipients, FCDO, and district councils.

Outcome

Strengthened 2025/26 DIP process with documented equity analysis, actionable bottleneck recommendations, and stronger alignment between district plans and national 'One Plan' mechanisms.

The Challenge

Mothers2Mothers needed an independent midline evaluation to assess the reach, early outcomes, and implementation quality of their Sondra Smalley cervical cancer prevention project across target facilities.

The Work Done

Conducted a policy and health systems analysis for cervical cancer prevention in Malawi. Facilitated key informant interviews with national and district health officials. Conducted FGDs and surveys with Mentor Mothers and health workers in project-supported facilities. Generated mixed-methods evidence on project reach, early outcomes, and implementation fidelity.

Outcome

Midline evaluation report with detailed recommendations for strengthening cervical cancer screening and management through the Sondra Smalley project, informing Mothers2Mothers programme adaptation.

The Challenge

Frontline AIDS needed a rigorous baseline assessment for the READY+ project to establish benchmarks and assess the policy and service environment for adolescent girls and young women living with HIV in Malawi.

The Work Done

Conducted a policy analysis of HIV and SRH policy frameworks relevant to AGYW. Led digitised surveys with AGYW living with HIV. Facilitated interviews with key stakeholders in HIV programming across national and subnational levels.

Outcome

Comprehensive baseline dataset and policy analysis establishing benchmarks and informing the READY+ project design, targeting strategy, and monitoring framework.

The Challenge

KELIN, CHeRA Malawi, and ITPC Global needed a national market intelligence assessment to generate the evidence base for sustainable financing, procurement reform advocacy, and access expansion strategies.

The Work Done

Mapped financing sources and procurement flows for priority HIV and TB commodities. Engaged pharmaceutical suppliers and government agencies including the National TB Programme, Directorate of HIV & Viral Hepatitis, CMST, and Malawi Revenue Authority. Applied bubble chart visualisation and composite scoring models to classify commodities by cost impact and usage frequency. Facilitated national and Africa-regional multi-stakeholder workshops with regulators, civil society, and procurement agencies. Collaborated with Global Fund, PEPFAR, WHO, PMRA, and UNDP. Authored technical report submitted to KELIN and ITPC Global.

Outcome

Evidence-based advocacy framework for cost reduction, procurement optimisation, and EDL reform. Findings used in regional and national pharmaceutical policy dialogues and aligned with TRIPS flexibilities advocacy.

The Challenge

Under the USAID PROPEL Health project, the Malawi Ministry of Health needed a structured assessment framework and tool to evaluate and strengthen FP integration across the six WHO health system building blocks.

The Work Done

Worked closely with the Reproductive Health Directorate to co-design an FP–PHC integration assessment tool. Conducted a secondary desk review of FP and PHC policies, strategies, and guidelines. Mapped and engaged national and sub-national stakeholders for tool validation. Led key informant interviews at national and district levels to assess policy coherence, implementation bottlenecks, and system readiness.

Outcome

Comprehensive assessment tool and report providing detailed recommendations for strengthening FP–PHC integration across governance, financing, service delivery, workforce, information systems, and commodities. Delivered to USAID PROPEL Health and MoH.

The Challenge

World Education Inc. needed an endline evaluation of their ISA project assessing integration gains, service access improvements, and implementation fidelity across six health facilities and their catchment communities in Mangochi.

The Work Done

Reviewed project documents and conducted in-depth interviews and FGDs with diverse stakeholders to assess impact on partner coordination, referral systems, access to services, youth-friendly service quality, and integration support from DHO and partners. Documented experiences of adolescents and young people accessing services in ISA-supported facilities.

Outcome

Evaluation reports outlining lessons learned, implementation fidelity findings, and policy-relevant recommendations for scaling integrated HIV/SRH services for AGYW in Malawi.

The Challenge

World Education Inc. needed a credible baseline for their ISA project, including a validated quality assessment tool to track service integration consistently across facilities over the project lifecycle.

The Work Done

Conducted a policy analysis of HIV and SRH policies and guidelines relevant to adolescents in Malawi. Led key informant interviews with national and district stakeholders involved in HIV and SRH programming to establish baseline values. Redesigned, refined, and validated the Malawi Ministry of Health Youth Friendly Health Services Scorecard.

Outcome

Validated baseline dataset and a revised MoH youth-friendly services scorecard — providing the ISA project with rigorous benchmarks and a reusable quality assessment tool endorsed by the Ministry.

The Challenge

UNAIDS required a feasibility assessment for implementing a Total Market Approach to condom programming in Malawi — examining policy, market structure, and key population access barriers.

The Work Done

Led policy analysis and stakeholder consultations with MoH officials, regulatory authorities, private distributors, civil society organisations, and key populations including female sex workers, men who have sex with men, and young people living with HIV. Assessed access barriers, market segmentation feasibility, and sustainability of distribution channels.

Outcome

Technical assessment informing national condom programming strategies and market sustainability discussions at MoH and UNAIDS levels.

The Challenge

The Gates-funded BPS consortium required health systems assessment, M&E coordination, and capacity building for community-based organisations implementing HIV surveillance in Blantyre District.

The Work Done

Served as the KUHeS focal person within the BPS consortium. Conducted comprehensive health systems and policy assessments. Coordinated M&E activities for BPS interventions. Led capacity and gap assessments of CBOs to evaluate institutional readiness for case-based and event-based surveillance. Designed and delivered targeted capacity development interventions for district-level actors. Developed analytical reports and policy communication materials. Participated in Health Technical Working Groups.

Outcome

Strengthened CBO capacity for HIV surveillance reporting, data verification, and routine data use for decision-making. Policy briefs informing MoH decision-making on IDSR-HIV integration and preparedness planning.

The Challenge

On Call Africa needed an independent evaluation of NHC effectiveness in improving access to health services in Zambia, examining governance, institutional functioning, and health system contributions.

The Work Done

Conducted a desk review of policies and programme documents. Led structured interviews with health workers and officials from the Zambian Ministry of Health on the governance and functioning of community health services through NHCs.

Outcome

Evaluation findings on NHC effectiveness contributing to the evidence base for community health governance reform and informing On Call Africa's programme strategy in Zambia.

The Challenge

SALC needed a comprehensive policy analysis and capacity assessment to build the evidence base for advocacy aimed at reforming how Malawi's correctional system manages drug-resistant tuberculosis.

The Work Done

Conducted a comprehensive policy analysis and literature review of TB and DRTB management guidelines in Malawi and globally. Led a capacity assessment of Malawian prisons in managing MDR-TB. Assessed health system readiness, referral pathways, and human rights considerations in correctional settings. Produced a technical report to inform advocacy on TB management in correctional facilities.

Outcome

The project directly informed TB in Prison Policy reforms in Malawi — allowing inmates with MDR-TB to be released for proper hospital-based management. A direct policy change resulting from the evidence generated.