Women and children living in conflict or post-conflict settings are particularly vulnerable. The collapse of health infrastructure, issues related to gender-based violence and a lack of access to high quality health care—particularly during pregnancy and delivery—is having devastating consequences for maternal and newborn health in Syria…read more
Profiles of Maternal and Newborn Health in Humanitarian Settings: 2015 Nepal Earthquake
Posted on
Profiles of Maternal and Newborn Health in Humanitarian Settings: Ebola Virus Outbreak
Posted on
Humanitarian crises—defined as events or series of events that represent a critical threat to the health, safety, security or wellbeing of a community or other large group of people—present unique challenges for women and children. This three-part series will explore maternal and newborn health issues through the lens of three humanitarian settings, starting with an example of an infectious disease outbreak…read more
How Researchers Used Behavioral Economics to Help Women Decide Where to Give Birth in Nairobi, Kenya
Posted onThe Maternal Health Task Force’s Sarah Hodin interviewed Jessica Cohen and Margaret McConnell about their study, “Precommitment, cash transfers, and timely arrival for birth: Evidence from a randomized controlled trial in Nairobi Kenya,” that explored how behavioral economics can be used to improve maternal health…read more
The Role of ASHAs in Improving Maternal and Newborn Health: A Closer Look at India’s Community Health Worker Program
Posted onIndia’s Accredited Social Health Activist (ASHA) program was established by the National Rural Health Mission in 2010 with an aim to improve health outcomes—particularly among women and children—and to reduce disparities by working in their own communities as health activists, educators and providers of basic essential services. While evidence has found ASHAs to have several positive impacts, these community health workers face a number of challenges…read more
From The Archives | The Role of Breastfeeding in Achieving the SDGs
Posted onDuring this year’s World Breastfeeding Week, we reflect on the crucial role of breastfeeding in pursuing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Although the benefits of breastfeeding are well documented, breastfeeding rates remain low in many settings, and large disparities persist both within and among countries…read more
A More Accurate Method for Estimating Country-Level Health Workforce Needs?
Posted on
An effective health workforce requires not only a sufficient number of workers, but also an appropriate mix of health care providers or cadres. A group of researchers developed a new model for estimating sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health workforce needs that accounts for demographic and epidemiological differences among countries…read more
New Guidelines for Preventing and Treating Malaria in Pregnancy
Posted onAddressing the issue of malaria in pregnancy (MiP) is a key component of providing high quality antenatal care (ANC), particularly in endemic areas. A group of experts recently published a brief with guidelines for preventing and treating MiP in the context of the updated ANC recommendations from the World Health Organization…read more
Examining the “Urban Advantage” in Lagos, Nigeria: Geographic Disparities in Maternal Mortality
Posted onErin Anastasi and colleagues recently published a paper titled, “Unmasking inequalities: Sub-national maternal and child mortality data from two urban slums in Lagos, Nigeria tells the story,” exploring the so-called “urban advantage” in maternal health. The Maternal Health Task Force’s Sarah Hodin interviewed Dr. Anastasi about her team’s findings and implications…read more
Updated Guidelines on Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth
Posted onIn June 2017, the World Health Organization, UNICEF and the United Nations Population Fund released the second edition of “Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth: A Guide for Midwives and Doctors.” The nearly 500-page document updated the clinical guidelines from the first edition published in 2000…read more