Midwives on Wheels
Formerly Nurses on Bikes
Nurses on Bikes began as a Wandikweza-led initiative, powered by our own staff and resources to fill critical gaps in maternal and child health. It proved that bringing care closer saves lives. Thousands of mothers received antenatal care at home, children were treated promptly for preventable illnesses and communities began to trust health services again.
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While highly effective, scaling such a standalone model to other districts would have required creating parallel structures and heavy reliance on donors. For Wandikweza to reach every woman and every newborn, a new approach was needed, one that could be sustained and expanded within Malawi’s health system.
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Midwives on Wheels is that next step. It is Wandikweza’s flagship maternal and newborn health program, building on the success of Nurses on Bikes while aligning with Malawi’s national system to ensure every woman and newborn receives timely, skilled and continuous care.
From Standalone to System-Aligned
The program now operates in direct partnership with Malawi’s Community Midwife Assistants (CMAs), a government-trained workforce already present in most districts. This shift anchors the model within the national health system, ensuring sustainability, equity and consistent standards of care. Rather than duplicating efforts, Midwives on Wheels strengthens what already exists, creating a pathway for national impact and lasting change.
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Wandikweza supported midwives work in partnership with families, health centers and communities to safeguard pregnancy, childbirth and the early days of life. This free service supports mothers through home visits, emergency referrals and postnatal follow-up, ensuring no woman faces childbirth alone and no newborn is left behind.
What Midwives on Wheels Delivers
Doorstep Care
Midwives visit mothers during pregnancy in the comfort of their homes. These visits include antenatal care, health checks and individualized birth preparedness plans. Mothers are guided on how to recognize danger signs, what to expect during delivery and how to prepare for emergencies. This proactive support ensures complications are identified early and that every woman has a plan for safe childbirth.
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Postnatal Follow-Up
After birth, the midwives return to the household to check on both mother and baby. Visits take place within 48 hours of delivery and again between 7–14 days. These visits allow the midwife, already known to the family, to assess recovery, provide breastfeeding support, monitor the newborn for early signs of illness and counsel on family planning. Because it is the same midwife, trust and familiarity make it easier for families to share concerns and receive the care they need.
