The Lancet Global Health published the Effective Coverage Think Tank Group article on 'Effective coverage measurement in maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition: progress, future prospects, and implications for quality health systems measures of effective coverage'.  

The Effective Coverage Think Tank Group proposes standardised definitions and measurement approaches for effective coverage.  

It initiates discussions on effective coverage indicators for MNCAHN and suggests priorities for future research on effective coverage. The proposed effective coverage measures and care cascade steps can be applied to further develop effective coverage measures across a broad range of MNCAHN services.

The group, convened by WHO and UNICEF, brings together nearly 100 quality of care and measurement experts from over 45 institutions. 

Access the article and check the World Health Organization’s data portal to find global data on coverage of key interventions for pregnancy, delivery, child and adolescent health.

Photo: A nurse at Tokora Health Centre III in Nakapiripirit district, Uganda, attends to a pregnant woman who came for an antenatal visit in October 2019. ©UNICEF/UNI239938/Jimmy Adriko.

The Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (Quality of Care Network) organized a a webinar on 30 April, 2020, on Tanzania’s facility quality assessment system. The Star Rating System, which has been implemented in all primary care facilities on the mainland – over 6,993 facilities - assesses 11 domains of service delivery and rates them on a scale of 1 to 5 stars. The webinar looked into the mechanisms through which facility-level quality improvement occurs using the Star Rating System, in particular how accountability, learning and group identity were prerequisites to quality improvement.

Access the recording and presentations http://www.qualityofcarenetwork.org/webinars/recording-and-materials-webinar-tanzania-star-rating-system

Presenters:

• Dr Talhiya Yahya, Coordinator for Quality Management in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children will explain how the Star Rating System supports the broader national efforts to improve quality of care. Dr Yahya coordinates the star rating assessments of health facilities.

• Dr Sanam Roder-DeWan Sanam, Health Specialist with UNICEF Tanzania and Principal Investigator for the Star Rating Evaluation, will detail the lessons learnt from the initiative and the value of the Star Rating instrument as a quality measurement tool.

• Nana A. Mensah Abrampah, Technical Officer in the Department of Integrated Health Services, WHO, will talk about quality assurance as one component of achieving quality improvement. She will also address the need to maintain quality essential health services during the COVId-19 outbreak.

See all previous Quality of Care Network’s webinars

Photo: Bertha Andrews Ndikwege, her baby and Dr Anna Majule, in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in May 2015. .© UNICEF/UNI197947/Schermbrucke.

Organized by the World Health Organization and UNICEF, in collaboration with the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health

Two sessions on 6 May, 2020, 10 am CEST and 1pm CEST

This webinar will detail the imperative of expanding provision of care to all newborns, including the most vulnerable ones, and will demonstrate that additional progress can be made towards our goal to end preventable newborn deaths by 2030 through people-centred care for small and sick newborns. In addition, the webinar will present further details about India’s experience in transforming both facility and community-based management of newborn care (1st session) and a perspective on the powerful role that parents can play as change agents for small and sick newborn care (2nd session).

The webinar will also address the risk of COVID-19 for newborns and the importance of maintaining maternal and neonatal services during the COVID-19 outbreak.

The presentations will be followed by a Q & A session.

SESSION 1: 8 am Accra Time (GMT), 10 am Geneva (CEST), 11 am Addis Ababa (EAT), 4 am New York (EDT), 1.30 pm New Delhi (IST) - duration: 1 hour

REGISTER. If prompted enter the password Nebworns01

Presenters:

• Mary Kinney will present the key findings of the 1st chapter ‘Now is the time to transform care for Newborns’ of the Survive and Thrive: transforming care for every small and sick newborn report. She is a co-author of the report and an Advisor for Newborn Health Evidence and Advocacy with Save the Children’s Saving Newborn Lives programme.

• Dr. Ajay Khera will explain India’s experience in transforming care for newborns, at both facility and community level. Dr. Khera is the Commissioner, Maternal, Child and Adolescent Health in the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India.

SESSION 2: 11 am Accra Time (GMT), 1 pm Geneva (CEST), 2pm Addis Ababa (EAT), 7 am New York (EDT), 4.30 pm New Delhi (IST) - duration: 1 hour

REGISTER. If prompted enter the password Nebworns01

Presenters:

• Dr. Lily Kak will present the key findings of the 1st chapter ‘Now is the time to transform care for Newborns’ of the Survive and Thrive: transforming care for every small and sick newborn report. She is a co-author of the report and Team Lead for Newborn Health" at USAID.

• Silke Mader will share the parents’ perspective in caring for their small and sick newborns. She is Chairwoman of the Executive Board and co-founder of European Foundation for the Care of Newborn Infants and co-founder of The Global Alliance for Newborn Care.

This is the first webinar in a series organized by the World Health Organization and UNICEF on Transforming care for small and sick newborns, in collaboration with the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health. Experts on neonatal health will present the findings of the Survive and Thrive: transforming care for every small and sick newborn report, share country experiences, and introduce the World Health Organization's new standards of care for small and sick newborns.  See the whole series

Many children’s deaths could be prevented if the most sick children were identified soon after their arrival in a health facility, and were prioritized to be treated immediately.

The Emergency Triage Assessment and Treatment (ETAT) programme was ​initially designed by the World Health Organization in 2005 to drastically reduce waiting time, improve flow and access to quality protocol-driven care for children presenting to hospitals in resource-limited settings, and thereby improve pediatric care and outcomes. Many countries have since adapted it for implementation in their context; in Sierra Leone, it is implemented as ETAT+.

ETAT+ whole systems approach has become an integral component of Sierra Leone’s efforts to improve the quality of pediatric care.  In district hospitals implementing the programme, the proportion of children who died after arrival in hospital dropped by nearly 40%. The programme’s lessons are now being applied to other areas of care, with a similar initiative being implemented for obstetric care (obstetric ETAT).

In this new episode of the Quality Talks podcast, Dr. James Bunn, Child Health Specialist at the World Health Organization in Sierra Leone explains the changes that ETAT+ has brought about through improving patient flow, task shifting, and responding to bottlenecks which delay treatment. This has been implemented through new on-the job training methods including mentoring. He describes how improving quality of care can be possible even in facilities with scarce resources.

Listen to the episode

Subscribe

In response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, Maternity Foundation, University of Copenhagen, and Laerdal Global Health in collaboration with International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) and UNFPA have partnered up to develop and disseminate an immediate and digital response  for healthcare personnel – particularly midwives – to protect themselves, women and newborns from COVID-19.

The coalition is launching tools for capacity building and training for  midwives through the Safe Delivery App, a mobile application developed by Maternity Foundation and University of Copenhagen, which provides visual, clinical and practical guidance on how to handle the most common childbirth complications. Through the Safe Delivery App, midwives can now get key information, animated video instructions, and check lists as well as guided training to support them to limit the spread of COVID-19 in the health facilities, including information on infection prevention, breastfeeding and vertical transmission. 

The Safe Delivery App is a free application that is already being used by midwives and other skilled health personnel providing care during childbirth in over 40 countries worldwide.

Leran more: https://www.maternity.dk/safe-delivery-app/

Download the for Safe Delivery App in Google Play or App store

Watch the Infection Prevention video: https://youtu.be/CzYQlhUcte8

Read the press release

Photo: Health workers using the Safe Delivery App in a delivery room in India ©Stine Heilmann

Join this first webinar in a WHO and UNICEF miniseries on WASH-FIT training

Thurs 9 April, 13.00 CEST

Zoom register here https://who.zoom.us/j/414362052