Dear members and friends of the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health,

2019 has been a positive year for the Quality of Care Network. The Network countries - Bangladesh, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Tanzania and Uganda - under the leadership of their national governments and with the support of partners have further consolidated their quality of care structures and systems and are now focusing on implementation. Initial information from learning districts and facilities shows promising results. Network countries and partners reaffirmed their commitment to the Network's goals and targets during the second meeting of the Quality of Care Network in Addis Ababa while sharing and learning from each other’s progress and challenges. Throughout the year, many other countries have expressed their interest to join or to adapt the Networks’ path to implementation.

As we enter 2020, the Network will continue to work with countries and partners to improve quality of care in order to halve maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths and improve experience of care, and share the results. Through this work, the Network countries will serve as a learning lab to test new ideas to strengthen nursing and midwifery for quality of care, introduce new standards for small and sick newborns linked to the pediatric standards of care, foster community engagement, and engage the private sector in delivering quality care for MNH. 

To support these efforts, the Network website will continue to share resources, know-how and best practices. A quality of care common indicator data platform and a quality improvement database will serve as two additional mechanisms to share lessons learnt in improving quality of care for MNCH.

We would like to express our appreciation to the countries and partners in the Network for their leadership, commitment and relentless work to advance the quality of care agenda for MNCH. We look forward to working with you in 2020 and sharing your successes and challenges in improving quality of care for MNCH. 
 
Best wishes for the holiday season,

The Quality of Care Network Secretariat

Every year on 12 December, advocates worldwide mobilize on International Universal Health Coverage Day to call for strong, equitable health systems that leave no one behind.

Three months after the historic UN High-Level Meeting on Universal Health Coverage, join us on 12 December to tell leaders to Keep the Promise of health for all.

This UHC Day, a global community is calling on leaders to Keep the Promise of #HealthForAll. Check out partner events and resources and add your voice to the call for universal health coverage.

Access key reading, messages, social media toolkit and more https://universalhealthcoverageday.org/

The All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) just released an app to improve the quality of medical  practices for preterm babies, intended as an educational tool for health workers working in Special Newborn Care Units. The ten modules use webinars, videos of routine procedures and practices, text materials for self reading, case studies and posters. Participants who pass the module are then eligible for participation in the skill training and simulation workshop which is done by a team of facilitators.

The entire package (self learning, skill building and simulation) is designed to be administered by state medical colleges to the staff of the Special Newborn Care Units under their supervision.

This educational tool has been contributed by neonatologists and nurses from all over India. It is currently available for Android only. An iOS version with local language options will be released soon.

 Download the app (AIIMS WHO CC PTC)