Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO has engaged with countries to ensure the continuity of essential health services. Through a special initiative, the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Ageing has supported 19 countries: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, South Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Uganda and Yemen in their efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on essential MNCH services.
This global event shared and discussed countries’ experiences and lessons learned during the implementation, including establishing structures and systems to coordinate the response and ensure continuity of services, proactive use of data to inform decision-making, adaptation of service delivery and innovation.
This event offered health policymakers, health systems, programme managers, emergency officers, MNCH programme implementers, health professionals, researchers, development and funding partners with an opportunity to interact with Ministries of Health and implementers from the 19 countries and discuss strategies to strengthen the health systems able to rapidly respond and build back better.
Session plan:
Moderated by Femi Oke
Opening remarks: Dr Anshu Banerjee, WHO Geneva
Country and regional panel:
- Panel 1: Governance and leadership - experiences, challenges and lessons learned:
- Dr Punya Poudel, Chief Maternal and Newborn Health Section Family Welfare Division, Department of Health Services, Ministry of Health and Population, Nepal
- Dr Roberta Paganini, Health Secretary, Pelotas municipality in Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil
- Facilitated discussion
- Panel 2: Using routine health information data for decision making:
- Dr Sabeena Afzal, Deputy Director, Federal Ministry of National Health Services, Regulations & Coordination, Pakistan
- Dr Simon Muhumuza, M&E Advisor, Makerere University School of Public Health, Kampala, Uganda
- Irina Alexandra, MATEESCU Member of National Commission of Midwives, Romanian National Order for Nurses and Midwives and consultant, Romania
- Facilitated discussion
Global lessons learned and discussion:
- Reflections from implementation so far and implications for health systems organization and response: Dr Anshu Banerjee, WHO Geneva
- Reflections and lessons learned from past disruptive events: Dr Lenka Benova, Associate Professor in Maternal and Reproductive Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine in Antwerp, Belgium
Questions & Answers with the audience
This event was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Ageing, World Health Organization Geneva
