The government of Malawi recently hosted national and global health leaders in its capital, Lilongwe, to launch the Network for Improving the Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (the Network). The vision is an ambitious one — to halve the number of maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths in participating health facilities within five years in nine initial countries. The Network aims to build on and accelerate progress while focusing on quality, equity and dignity…read more
Task Shifting: The Key to Increasing Access to Essential Maternal Health Services
Posted onUSAID reports that there are 18 million fewer health professionals in the world than what is needed, and the largest shortages are in parts of Asia and in sub-Saharan Africa. This implies that large numbers of women do not have access to skilled health care. Task shifting can be a key strategy to minimize this gap and prevent maternal deaths due to pre-eclampsia/eclampsia…read more
How Social Factors Drive up Suicide Rates Among Pregnant Women
Posted onPregnant women in South Africa who live in poor communities are more likely to consider or attempt suicide than the general population, but many of them do not have diagnosed depressive or anxiety disorders. Their suicide risk is associated with lower socioeconomic status, food insecurity, intimate partner violence and a lack of social support…read more
The Urban Disadvantage: Rethinking Maternal and Newborn Health Priorities
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Urbanization is changing the face of poverty and marginalization, and the maternal and newborn health field needs to change too, said a panel of experts at the Wilson Center on January 24. The so-called “urban advantage”—the idea that one can expect better health outcomes in urban settings—is no longer true. Maternal mortality ratios, neonatal mortality rates and stillbirth rates in slum areas are worse than rural averages in many cases…read more
Restoring Reproductive Health Access for Millions in Boko Haram-Affected Areas
Posted onNigeria has one of the highest rates of maternal death in the world. The risks are compounded for women and girls living through humanitarian crises, which undermine community support mechanisms and limit access to health facilities. UNFPA is working to reach people whose live has been turned upside down by the Boko Haram insurgency…read more
A Garment Originally Made for Astronauts is Saving the Lives of New Mothers in Developing Countries
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Together with Paul Hensleigh, Suellen Miller, the founder of University of California San Francisco’s Safe Motherhood Program, created a non-pneumatic anti-shock garment (NASG) that applies pressure on the lower half of the body to push blood to vital organs like the lungs, heart and brain. The anti-shock garment is a first-aid measure: Strapping on LifeWrap soon after giving birth can help contain or at least slow down excess bleeding. Typically, clinicians will administer oxytocin to stop the blood loss. If the drug is not available or is ineffective, nurses and doctors can use the NASG to buy more time. The suit cut maternal mortality rates by over 50%…read more
Misoprostol for Postpartum Hemorrhage: Empowering Health Workers to Save Lives
Posted onIn Senegal, approximately 1,800 women lose their lives every year while giving birth. The major cause of these deaths is uncontrolled bleeding after childbirth, or postpartum hemorrhage. Many women give birth, attended by matrones or volunteer birth attendants, in maternity huts. Senegal’s National Health Plan now officially recognizes matrones as a cadre of health provider in the country’s health system and the critical role they play in providing care at the community level…read more
The Role of Measurement in Tracking Progress When Scaling Up Maternal Health Interventions
Posted onAs attention in maternal health shifts to a new emphasis on ending preventable maternal mortality (EPMM) and addressing inequities, the tracking of progress will remain important. A key aspect of these future efforts will require the valid measurement of not only contact with maternal and newborn health services but also coverage of key interventions that reflect the quality of services received…read more
Implementing Checklists for Quality Improvement: Webinar on December 15!
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Join the Ariadne Labs team on December 15 for ‘Implementing Checklists for Quality Improvement: Best Practices Along the Implementation Pathway – “Coaching,”‘ the fourth webinar in their interactive webinar series dedicated to sharing lessons learned in checklist implementation for quality improvement…read more
Communities Demanding Quality Maternity Care
Posted onGeorge Nkhoma is a midwife in Malawi. Growing up without a mother – because she died while giving birth to him – has made George passionate about the state of maternal and newborn care in the country. The zealous midwife is now an advocate for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) for White Ribbon Alliance (WRA) in Malawi, and his community recognizes him as being exemplary in his work as he is very helpful and, unlike other midwives, treats them with respect. But George is often seen as the exception…read more