Maternal & Child Health

WHO Nursing and Midwifery Progress Report 2008-2012

This report is a compilation of summary activities carried out by WHO and its partners between 2008 and 2012. It demonstrates a collaborative effort rallying around the Strategic Directions for Strengthening Nursing and Midwifery which is the operational framework developed by WHO since 2002. The report also offers some practical recommendations within the framework of primary health care. [from publisher]

Interprofessional Collaborative Practice in Primary Health Care: Nursing and Midwifery Perspectives

This publication presents 6 case studies on interprofessional education and collaborative practice from Brazil, Canada, India, South Africa and the USA. The document also highlights some barriers and enablers to take into account for implementation. [from publisher]

When Women Deliver with No One Present in Nigeria: Who, What, Where and So What?

This paper focuses on maternal “no one present” (NOP) deliveries and aims at using empirical data to describe patterns, levels, and correlates of deliveries with NOP in Nigeria. Findings from this study are expected to contribute to policy and program strategy to better address the delivery needs of women in the community. [adapted from author]

Impact Evaluation of a Quality Improvement Intervention on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Northern Ghana: Early Assessment of a National Scale-up Project

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of a national child survival quality improvement project, on key maternal and child health outcomes. [adapted from abstract]

Effect on Postpartum Hemorrhage of Prophylactic Oxytocin (10 IU) by Injection by Community Health Officers in Ghana: A Community-Based, Cluster-Randomized Trial

This study assessed the effectiveness, safety, and feasibility of prevention of postpartum hemorrhage using oxytocin injected by peripheral health care providers without midwifery skills at home births. [adapted from abstract]

Reducing Inequities in Neonatal Mortality through Adequate Supply of Health Workers: Evidence from Newborn Health in Brazil

Using the case of Brazil, this study investigates the extent to which policies and interventions seeking to increase the accessibility of health services among the poor have been effective in decreasing neonatal mortality. [adapted from abstract]

Removing Financial Barriers to Access Reproductive, Maternal and Newborn Health Services: The Challenges and Policy Implications for Human Resources for Health

This research aimed to assess how policies reducing demand-side barriers to access to health care have affected service delivery with a particular focus on human resources for health using case studies in five countries (Ghana, Nepal, Sierra Leone, Zambia and Zimbabwe). In each the authors reviewed financing and HRH policies, considered the impact financing policy change had made on health service utilization rates, analysed the distribution of health staff and their actual and potential workloads, and compared remuneration terms in the public sectors. [from abstract]

HIV and Maternal Health: Faith Groups' Activities, Contributions and Impact

This report documents the contributions to and impact of faith groups in relation to providing HIV/AIDS and maternal health services, and identifies the challenges to faith groups, at local, national and international levels, in delivering these health services. [adapted from author]

Guidelines for In-Service Training in Basic and Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care

These guidelines provide the information and guidance needed to implement effective basic and comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care training. Recommendations are made for selecting participants and clinical sites, training schedules, and where to find the materials and resources needed for effective clinical skills practice. Use of these guidelines will enable facilitators to train providers who are competent in evidence-based practices and who will ensure that their facilities offer quality services. [from author]

Quality of Care, Risk Management, and Technology in Obstetrics to Reduce Hospital-Based Maternal Mortality in Senegal and Mali (QUARITE): A Cluster-Randomised Trial

This article assesses the effect of a trial multifaceted intervention to promote maternity death reviews and onsite training for health workers in emergency obstetric care in referral hospitals with high maternal mortality rates in Senegal and Mali. [adapted from summary]

Operations Research to Add Postpartum Family Planning to Maternal and Neonatal Health to Improve Birth Spacing in Sylhet District, Bangladesh

This article documents the intervention package and evaluation design of a study conducted in a rural district of Bangladesh to evaluate the effects of an integrated, community-based maternal and neonatal health and postpartum family planning program on contraceptive use and birth-interval lengths.

Reaching Mothers and Babies with Early Postnatal Home Visits: The Implementation Realities of Achieving High Coverage in Large-Scale Programs

Community-based maternal and newborn care programs with postnatal home visits from providers who can deliver preventive or curative services that save lives have been tested in Bangladesh, Malawi, and Nepal. This paper examines coverage and content of home visits in pilot areas and factors associated with receipt of postnatal visits. [adapted from abstract]

Quality of Sick Child Care Delivered by Health Surveillance Assistants in Malawi

This study was carried out to assess the quality of care provided by Health Surveillance Assistants—a cadre of community-based health workers—as part of a national scale-up of community case management of childhood illness in Malawi. [from abstract]

Integrating Child Health Services into Malaria Control Services of Village Malaria Workers in Remote Cambodia: Service Utilization and Knowledge of Malaria Management of Caregivers

This study aimed to identify determinants of caregivers’ use of village malaria workers services for childhood illness and caregivers’ knowledge of malaria management. [adapted from abstract]

Quality of Intrapartum Care at Mulago National Referral Hospital, Uganda: Clients' Perspective

The study contributes to quality improvement programs responsible for accelerating reduction of maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality in Uganda. It documents and informs clinicians, hospital managers, and policy makers about quality of care aspects that need to be improved in promoting newborns and maternal survival and well being during labor to promote women’s utilization of skilled attendance at birth. [from author]

Evaluation of the Quality of IMCI Assessments among IMCI Trained Health Workers in South Africa

This report is an evaluation of integrated management of childhood illness, a strategy to reduce mortality and morbidity in children under 5 years by improving health workers’ case management of common and serious illnesses at primary health care level, in two provinces of South Africa. [adapted from abstract]

Community Health Workers Can Identify and Manage Possible Infections in Neonates and Young Infants: MINI, a Model from Nepal

This article describes the Morang Innovative Neonatal Intervention
(MINI), which tested a replicable model for the community management of neonatal infections within the existing government health system through the use of female community health volunteers. [adapted from author]

Barriers to Implementation of the HIV Guidelines in the IMCI Algorithm among IMCI Trained Health Workers in Zambia

Since 2004, health workers that have undergone integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) case management training have also received training in HIV assessment, but follow-up showed that 97% of the health workers assessed did not review or mention the HIV guidelines even though they had received the training. This study aimed to explore reasons for non-adherence to HIV guidelines in the IMCI algorithm and make recommendations on how this can be improved. [adapted from abstract]

Effectiveness of Community Health Workers (CHWS) in the Provision of Basic Preventive and Curative Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Interventions: A Systematic Review

This review was designed to find evidence of the effectiveness of CHWs in providing basic preventive and curative MNCH interventions, and to identify the factors that are crucial to their performance. [from abstract]

Why Do Some Women Still Prefer Traditional Birth Attendants and Home Delivery? A Qualitative Study on Delivery Care Services in West Java Province, Indonesia

This study aims to explore the perspectives of community members and health workers about the use of delivery care services in six villages of West Java Province where many women still deliver at home and without the assistance of trained birth attendants. [from abstract]

Community Mobilization and Health Management Committee Strengthening to Increase Birth Attendance by Trained Health Workers in Rural Makwanpur, Nepal: Study Protocol for a Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

This protocol will test the effect of community mobilization through women’s groups, and health management committee strengthening, on institutional deliveries and home deliveries attended by trained health workers. [adapted from abstract]

Applying WHO's Workforce Indicators of Staffing Need (WISN) Method to Calculate the Health Worker Requirements for India's Maternal and Child Health Service Guarantees in Orissa State

In one district of India, the authors used the WISN method to calculate the number of health workers required to achieve the maternal and child health service guarantees of the country and measured the difference between this ideal number and current staffing levels. [adapted from abstract]

Evaluation of Pre-Service Training on Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illness in Ethiopia

This survey was conducted to assess the status of pre-service training on the integrated management of newborn and childhood illness strategy and its ability to equip health workers with essential knowledge and skills to effectively manage sick children with common neonatal and childhood diseases. [adapted from abstract]

Does Shortening the Training on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness Guidelines Reduce Its Effectiveness? A Systematic Review

Implementation of the integrated management of childhood illness strategy with an 11-day training course for health workers improves care for ill children in outpatient settings in developing countries. This study aimed to determine if shortening the training to reduce cost reduces its effectiveness. [adapted from abstract]

Quality of Care for Severe Acute Malnutrition Delivered by Community Health Workers in Southern Bangladesh

This study assessed the quality of care provided by community health workers in managing cases of severe acute malnutrition according to a treatment algorithm. [from abstract]

Trends in Health Worker Performance after Implementing the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness Strategy in Benin

Training health workers to use integrated management of childhood illness (IMCI) guidelines can improve care for ill children in outpatient settings in developing countries. This article aimed to determine if the performance of IMCI-trained health workers deteriorated over 3 years. [from abstract]

Compliance with Focused Antenatal Care Services: Do Health Workers in Rural Burkina Faso, Uganda and Tanzania Perform All ANC Procedures?

This study aimed to assess health workers’ compliance with the procedures set in the focused antenatal care guidelines in rural Uganda, Tanzania and Burkina Faso; to compare the compliance within and among the three study sites; and to appraise the logistic and supply of the respective health facilities. [from abstract]

Nursing and Midwifery Regulatory Reform in East, Central and Southern Africa: A Survey of Key Stakeholders

Enacting appropriate changes in both regulation and education of nurses requires engagement of national regulatory bodies, and key stakeholders such as government chief nursing officers, professional associations, and educators. The purpose of this research is to describe the perspectives and engagement of these stakeholders in advancing critical regulatory and educational reform in east, central, and southern Africa. [adapted from abstract]

Effect of the Newhints Home-Visits Intervention on Neonatal Mortality Rate and Care Practices in Ghana: A Cluster Randomised Controlled Trial

This study tested a home-visits strategy to improve neonatal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa by assessing the effect on all-cause neonatal mortality rate and essential newborn-care practices after community-based surveillance volunteers were trained to identify pregnant women in their community and to make two home visits during pregnancy and three in the first week of life to promote essential newborn-care practices. [adapted from summary]

What I Want Is Simple

The White Ribbon Alliance in Tanzania have produced this short, 4 minute film to improve the public perception of midwives and mobilize support for advocacy targeting improvements in the working conditions of midwives. [from publisher]