The webinar included a presentation on how to overcome blame culture in the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) process sharing 10 specific strategies on how to practically address this problem during MPDSR implementation. A rich panel comprised of representatives from Ghana, Namibia and Uganda discussed the strategies in light of their experiences, challenges and successes in overcoming blame culture within MPDSR implementation.

Session plan:

Introduction: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

Part 1: Launching the Manuscript 'Overcoming blame culture: key strategies to catalyze maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response': Ms Mary Kinney, Researcher, University of Western Cape, South Africa

Part 2: Panel discussion facilitated by Dr Allison Moran, WHO Geneva

• Ms Gloria Mutimbwa Siseho, Health Specialist, UNICEF Namibia
• Ms Vida Kukula, Midwife/Public Health Practitioner, Ghana
• Dr Robert Mrema, Technical Officer, WHO Uganda

Questions & Answers

Closing remarks: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva and the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

Inequities in sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) throughout the world mean that certain population subgroups have systematically worse health outcomes and poorer access to services and interventions. Addressing inequities in SRMNCAH is an important part of WHO’s mandate, and central to achieving universal health coverage, protecting human rights, combating discrimination and improving social determinants of health.

The Inequality Monitoring in SRMNCAH: A Step-by-Step Manual will serve as a practical, introductory-level guide to strengthen and build capacity for inequality monitoring in SRMNCAH. It will encourage and assist regions, countries, districts and other jurisdictions to regularly monitor SRMNCAH inequalities and will promote the integration of the results of monitoring as an evidence base for equity-oriented national and subnational programming.

Session plan:

Host: Ms Femi Oke

Welcome: Dr Zsuzsanna Jakab, Deputy Director General, WHO Geneva

SRMNCAH Inequities what do we know:

• Dr Christina Pallitto, Scientist, Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research Department, WHO Geneva
• Dr Theresa Diaz, Unit Head, Epidemiology, Monitoring and Evaluation Unit, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing Department, WHO Geneva

Inequality Monitoring in SRMNCAH: A Step-by-Step Manual:

Dr Ahmad Reza Hosseinpoor, Lead, Health Equity Monitoring, Department of Data and Analytics, WHO Geneva

Panel: Reflection on the manual and SRMNCAH health inequities

• Prof Paula Braveman, School of Medicine, Department of Family and Community Medicine, Center on Social Disparities in Health, University of California, San Francisco, USA
• Prof Asha George, School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, South Africa
• Dr Ana Paula Belon, School of Public Health, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
• Dr Oscar J Mujica, Regional Advisor, Social Epidemiology & Health Equity, Department of Evidence and Intelligence for Action in Health, PAHO
• Dr Betzabe Butron Riveros, Regional Advisor, Unit of Healthy Life Course, PAHO

Closing remarks: Dr Samira Asma, Assistant Director General, Division of Data, Analytics and Delivery for Impact, WHO Geneva

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research and the Department of Data and Analytics, World Health Organization Geneva.

The aim of this expert consultation is to arrive at a consensus on core elements of a generic model for inpatient small and sick newborn care at the district level. This is undertaken in order to support Ministries of Health activity to increase the coverage and quality of small and sick newborn care in line with the ENAP target by 2025 of 80% of districts with at least one functional level 2 (special care) inpatient newborn care unit including CPAP.