Improving Governance of Maternal and Newborn Health (MNH) Programming through Co-creation: A Case of Nine Devolved County Governments in Kenya

Kenya ushered in a devolved system of governance that created 47 semi-autonomous county governments in 2010. Delivery of health services was the major component transferred to the county governments, while the national government retained policy and regulatory functions. While there has been improvement in health structural development attributed to devolution, counties continue to experience insufficient management and technical staff capacity to conduct devolved tasks. There have been substantial investments in capacity-building for human resources for health and equipping facilities for maternal and newborn health (MNH) in the last decade. Subsequently, access to antenatal care, facility deliveries, and postnatal care has significantly improved. However, there remain mixed results in measures of impact for maternal morbidity and mortality. We present results on the effect of utilizing a co-creation process to improve MNH service delivery and outcomes in nine counties in Kenya.

Multi-pronged Strategy to Improve Maternal and Newborn Quality of Care: A Case Study from Saving Mothers Giving Lives (SMGL) 2.0 Project in Kaduna State, Nigeria 

Despite significant investment, Nigeria still carries the second highest burden of maternal mortality in the world, contributing about 15% of the total global maternal deaths. Kaduna State in Northern Nigeria has a neonatal mortality rate of 63/1,000 live births, higher than the national average of 39/1,000 live births. To contribute to a reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality in the country, Saving Mothers Giving Lives (SMGL) 2.0, in collaboration with the Kaduna State Government, is implementing a multi-pronged strategy to ensure pregnant women have access to safe and quality delivery services in project-supported facilities.

Root Cause Analysis of Maternal Mortality in Bong County, Liberia: A Case Series Study 

Maternal mortality is influenced by complex context-specific socioeconomic and cultural factors. Liberia has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in sub-Saharan Africa, with recent increases in maternal deaths in rural Bong County. The purpose of this study was to better classify the contextual factors leading up to maternal deaths and to develop a list of recommendations to prevent future similar deaths.

Evaluation of a Maternal and Infant Health Intervention in Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples' Region, Ethiopia 

Antenatal care, skilled care during childbirth, and postpartum care are all necessary tools to reduce maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. However, coverage of these services varies considerably in Ethiopia. A recent survey shows antenatal care (ANC) coverage at 74%, while access to skilled birth attendants and postnatal care (PNC) are much lower at 48% and 34%, respectively. The goal of this project was to increase the number of pregnant women who receive quality maternal and child health (MCH) services in intervention districts. The purpose of this evaluation is to assess the impact and sustainability of the intervention.