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Anderson R, Zaman SB, Jimmy AN, Read JM, Limmer M. Strengthening quality in sexual, reproductive, maternal, and newborn health systems in low- and middle-income countries through midwives and facility mentoring: an integrative review. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2023; 23:712. [PMID: 37798690 PMCID: PMC10552246 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-023-06027-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Accepted: 09/24/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND There is an urgent global call for health systems to strengthen access to quality sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health, particularly for the most vulnerable. Professional midwives with enabling environments are identified as an important solution. However, a multitude of barriers prevent midwives from fully realizing their potential. Effective interventions to address known barriers and enable midwives and quality sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health are less well known. This review intends to evaluate the literature on (1) introducing midwives in low- and middle-income countries, and (2) on mentoring as a facilitator to enable midwives and those in midwifery roles to improve sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health service quality within health systems. METHODS An integrative systematic literature review was conducted, guided by the Population, Intervention, Comparison, Outcome framework. Articles were reviewed for quality and relevance using the Gough weight-of-evidence framework and themes were identified. A master table categorized articles by Gough score, methodology, country of focus, topic areas, themes, classification of midwives, and mentorship model. The World Health Organization health systems building block framework was applied for data extraction and analysis. RESULTS Fifty-three articles were included: 13 were rated as high, 36 as medium, and four as low according to the Gough criteria. Studies that focused on midwives primarily highlighted human resources, governance, and service delivery while those focused on mentoring were more likely to highlight quality services, lifesaving commodities, and health information systems. Midwives whose pre-service education met global standards were found to have more efficacy. The most effective mentoring packages were comprehensive, integrated into existing systems, and involved managers. CONCLUSIONS Effectively changing sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn and adolescent health systems is complex. Globally standard midwives and a comprehensive mentoring package show effectiveness in improving service quality and utilization. TRIAL REGISTRATION The protocol is registered in PROSPERO (CRD42022367657).
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Affiliation(s)
- Rondi Anderson
- The Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK.
| | - Sojib Bin Zaman
- Department of Health Sciences, James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
| | - Abdun Naqib Jimmy
- Environmental Science Department, Jahangirnagar University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Jonathan M Read
- Lancaster Medical School, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
| | - Mark Limmer
- The Faculty of Health and Medicine, Lancaster University, Lancaster, UK
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Kilander H, Sorcher R, Berglundh S, Petersson K, Wängborg A, Danielsson KG, Iwarsson KE, Brandén G, Thor J, Larsson EC. IMplementing best practice post-partum contraceptive services through a quality imPROVEment initiative for and with immigrant women in Sweden (IMPROVE it): a protocol for a cluster randomised control trial with a process evaluation. BMC Public Health 2023; 23:806. [PMID: 37138268 PMCID: PMC10154759 DOI: 10.1186/s12889-023-15776-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2023] [Accepted: 04/27/2023] [Indexed: 05/05/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Immigrant women's challenges in realizing sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) are exacerbated by the lack of knowledge regarding how to tailor post-partum contraceptive services to their needs. Therefore, the overall aim of the IMPROVE-it project is to promote equity in SRHR through improvement of contraceptive services with and for immigrant women, and, thus, to strengthen women's possibility to choose and initiate effective contraceptive methods post-partum. METHODS This Quality Improvement Collaborative (QIC) on contraceptive services and use will combine a cluster randomized controlled trial (cRCT) with a process evaluation. The cRCT will be conducted at 28 maternal health clinics (MHCs) in Sweden, that are the clusters and unit of randomization, and include women attending regular post-partum visits within 16 weeks post birth. Utilizing the Breakthrough Series Collaborative model, the study's intervention strategies include learning sessions, action periods, and workshops informed by joint learning, co-design, and evidence-based practices. The primary outcome, women's choice of an effective contraceptive method within 16 weeks after giving birth, will be measured using the Swedish Pregnancy Register (SPR). Secondary outcomes regarding women's experiences of contraceptive counselling, use and satisfaction of chosen contraceptive method will be evaluated using questionnaires completed by participating women at enrolment, 6 and 12 months post enrolment. The outcomes including readiness, motivation, competence and confidence will be measured through project documentation and questionnaires. The project's primary outcome involving women's choice of contraceptive method will be estimated by using a logistic regression analysis. A multivariate analysis will be performed to control for age, sociodemographic characteristics, and reproductive history. The process evaluation will be conducted using recordings from learning sessions, questionnaires aimed at participating midwives, intervention checklists and project documents. DISCUSSION The intervention's co-design activities will meaningfully include immigrants in implementation research and allow midwives to have a direct, immediate impact on improving patient care. This study will also provide evidence as to what extent, how and why the QIC was effective in post-partum contraceptive services. TRIAL REGISTRATION NCT05521646, August 30, 2022.
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Affiliation(s)
- Helena Kilander
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden.
| | - Rachael Sorcher
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Sofia Berglundh
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
| | - Kerstin Petersson
- Department of Clinical Sciences, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Umeå University, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Anna Wängborg
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Kristina Gemzell- Danielsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Karin Emtell Iwarsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Gunnar Brandén
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
- Center for Epidemiology and Social Medicine, Region Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Johan Thor
- Jönköping Academy for Improvement of Health and Welfare, School of Health and Welfare, Jönköping University, Jönköping, Sweden
| | - Elin C Larsson
- Department of Women's and Children's Health, Karolinska Institutet, and the WHO Collaborating Centre, Karolinska University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden
- Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden
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Procureur F, Estifanos AS, Keraga DW, Kiflie Alemayehu AK, Hailemariam NW, Schellenberg J, Magge H, Hill Z. "Quality teaches you how to use water. It doesn't provide a water pump": a qualitative study of context and mechanisms of action in an Ethiopian quality improvement program. BMC Health Serv Res 2023; 23:381. [PMID: 37076845 PMCID: PMC10116784 DOI: 10.1186/s12913-023-09341-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/21/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quality improvement collaboratives are a common approach to bridging the quality-of-care gap, but little is known about implementation in low-income settings. Implementers rarely consider mechanisms of change or the role of context, which may explain collaboratives' varied impacts. METHODS To understand mechanisms and contextual influences we conducted 55 in-depth interviews with staff from four health centres and two hospitals involved in quality improvement collaboratives in Ethiopia. We also generated control charts for selected indicators to explore any impacts of the collaboratives. RESULTS The cross facility learning sessions increased the prominence and focus on quality, allowed learning from experts and peers and were motivational through public recognition of success or a desire to emulate peers. Within facilities, new structures and processes were created. These were fragile and sometimes alienating to those outside the improvement team. The trusted and respected mentors were important for support, motivation and accountability. Where mentor visits were infrequent or mentors less skilled, team function was impacted. These mechanisms were more prominent, and quality improvement more functional, in facilities with strong leadership and pre-existing good teamwork; as staff had shared goals, an active approach to problems and were more willing and able to be flexible to implement change ideas. Quality improvement structures and processes were more likely to be internally driven and knowledge transferred to other staff in these facilities, which reduced the impact of staff turnover and increased buy-in. In facilities which lacked essential inputs, staff struggled to see how the collaborative could meaningfully improve quality and were less likely to have functioning quality improvement. The unexpected civil unrest in one region strongly disrupted the health system and the collaborative. These contextual issues were fluid, with multiple interactions and linkages. CONCLUSIONS The study confirms the need to carefully consider context in the implementation of quality improvement collaboratives. Facilities that implement quality improvement successfully may be those that already have characteristics that foster quality. Quality improvement may be alienating to those outside of the improvement team and implementers should not assume the organic spread or transfer of quality improvement knowledge.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Procureur
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Guilford St, London, WC1N 1EH, UK
| | - A S Estifanos
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | - D W Keraga
- Department of Reproductive, Family and Population Health, School of Public Health, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
| | | | | | - J Schellenberg
- Department of Disease Control, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Keppel Street, London, WC1E 7HT, UK
| | - H Magge
- Institute for Healthcare Improvement, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
- Brigham and Women's Hospital, Division of Global Health Equity, 75 Francis Street, Boston, MA, 02115, USA
| | - Z Hill
- Institute for Global Health, University College London, Guilford St, London, WC1N 1EH, UK.
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Galle A, Moran AC, Bonet M, Graham K, Muzigaba M, Portela A, Day LT, Tuabu GK, Silva BDSÉ, Moller AB. Measures to assess quality of postnatal care: A scoping review. PLOS GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH 2023; 3:e0001384. [PMID: 36963034 PMCID: PMC10021656 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgph.0001384] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 01/27/2023] [Indexed: 02/19/2023]
Abstract
High quality postnatal care is key for the health and wellbeing of women after childbirth and their newborns. In 2022, the World Health Organization (WHO) published global recommendations on maternal and newborn care for a positive postnatal care experience in a new WHO PNC guideline. Evidence regarding appropriate measures to monitor implementation of postnatal care (PNC) according to the WHO PNC guideline is lacking. This scoping review aims to document the measures used to assess the quality of postnatal care and their validity. The review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for Scoping Reviews (PRISMA-ScR). Five electronic bibliographic databases were searched together with a grey literature search. Two reviewers independently screened and appraised identified articles. All data on PNC measures were extracted and mapped to the 2022 WHO PNC recommendations according to three categories: i) maternal care, ii) newborn care, iii) health system and health promotion interventions. We identified 62 studies providing measures aligning with the WHO PNC recommendations. For most PNC recommendations there were measures available and the highest number of recommendations were found for breastfeeding and the assessment of the newborn. No measures were found for recommendations related to sedentary behavior, criteria to be assessed before discharge, retention of staff in rural areas and use of digital communication. Measure validity assessment was described in 24 studies (39%), but methods were not standardized. Our review highlights a gap in existing PNC measures for several recommendations in the WHO PNC guideline. Assessment of the validity of PNC measures was limited. Consensus on how the quality of PNC should be measured is needed, involving a selection of priority measures and the development of new measures as appropriate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Galle
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Care and Family Medicine, University Centre for Nursing and Midwifery, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Allisyn C Moran
- World Health Organization Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Mercedes Bonet
- World Health Organization Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), UNDP/UNFPA/ UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Katriona Graham
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Care and Family Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Moise Muzigaba
- World Health Organization Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Anayda Portela
- World Health Organization Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, Geneva, Switzerland
| | - Louise Tina Day
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology, Maternal Newborn Health Group, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, United Kingdom
| | - Godwin Kwaku Tuabu
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Care and Family Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Bianca De Sá É Silva
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, WHO Collaborating Centre on Primary Care and Family Medicine, Ghent University, Belgium
| | - Ann-Beth Moller
- World Health Organization Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, Development and Research Training in Human Reproduction (HRP), UNDP/UNFPA/ UNICEF/WHO/World Bank Special Programme of Research, Geneva, Switzerland
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Sserwanja Q, Gatasi G, Musaba MW. Evaluating continuum of maternal and newborn healthcare in Rwanda: evidence from the 2019-2020 Rwanda demographic health survey. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth 2022; 22:781. [PMID: 36261801 PMCID: PMC9583497 DOI: 10.1186/s12884-022-05109-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2022] [Revised: 09/19/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Access to a complete continuum of maternal and child health care has been recommended globally for better pregnancy outcomes. Hence this study determined the level (pooled prevalence) and predictors of successfully completing continuum of care (CoC) in Rwanda. METHODS We analyzed weighted secondary data from the 2019-2020 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) that included 6,302 women aged 15 to 49 years who were selected using multistage stratified sampling. We analyzed complete continuum of care as a composite variable of three maternal care services: at least four ANC contacts, SBA, maternal and neonatal post-natal care. We used the SPSS version 25 complex samples package to conduct multivariable logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 6,302 women, 2,131 (33.8%) (95% CI: 32.8-35.1) had complete continuum of care. The odds of having complete continuum of care were higher among women who had exposure to newspapers (adjusted odds ratio (AOR): 1.30, 95% CI: 1.11-1.52), those belonging to the eastern region (AOR): 1.24, 95% CI: 1.01-1.52), southern region (AOR): 1.26, 95% CI: 1.04-1.53), those with health insurance (AOR): 1.55, 95% CI: 1.30-1.85), those who had been visited by a field health worker (AOR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.15-1.49), those with no big problems with distance to health facility (AOR): 1.25, 95% CI: 1.07-1.46), those who were married (AOR): 1.35, 95% CI: 1.11-1.64), those with tertiary level of education (AOR): 1.61, 95% CI: 1.05-2.49), those belonging to richer households (AOR): 1.33, 95% CI: 1.07-1.65) and those whose parity was less than 2 (AOR): 1.52, 95% CI: 1.18-1.95). CONCLUSION We have identified modifiable factors (exposure to mass media, having been visited by a field health worker, having health insurance, having no big problems with distance to the nearest health facility, belonging to richer households, being married and educated), that can be targeted to improve utilization of the entire continuum of care. Promoting maternity services through mass media, strengthening the community health programmes, increasing access to health insurance and promoting girl child education to tertiary level may improve the level of utilization of maternity services.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ghislaine Gatasi
- Key Laboratory of Environmental Medicine Engineering, School of Public Health, Ministry of Education, Southeast University, 210009, Nanjing, Jiangsu Province, China
| | - Milton W Musaba
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Mbale Regional Referral and Teaching Hospital, Mbale, Uganda.,Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Busitema University, Tororo, Uganda
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Kawuki J, Gatasi G, Sserwanja Q. Women empowerment and health insurance utilisation in Rwanda: a nationwide cross-sectional survey. BMC Womens Health 2022; 22:378. [PMID: 36114507 PMCID: PMC9482274 DOI: 10.1186/s12905-022-01976-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Health insurance coverage is one of the several measures being implemented to reduce the inequity in access to quality health services among vulnerable groups. Although women’s empowerment has been viewed as a cost-effective strategy for the reduction of maternal and child morbidity and mortality, as it enables women to tackle the barriers to accessing healthcare, its association with health insurance usage has been barely investigated. Our study aims at examining the prevalence of health insurance utilisation and its association with women empowerment as well as other socio-demographic factors among Rwandan women. Methods We used Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey (RDHS) 2020 data of 14,634 women aged 15–49 years, who were selected using multistage sampling. Health insurance utilisation, the outcome variable was a binary response (yes/no), while women empowerment was assessed by four composite indicators; exposure to mass media, decision making, economic and sexual empowerment. We conducted multivariable logistic regression to explore its association with socio-demographic factors, using SPSS (version 25). Results Out of the 14,634 women, 12,095 (82.6%) (95% CI 82.0–83.2) had health insurance, and the majority (77.2%) were covered by mutual/community organization insurance. Women empowerment indicators had a negative association with health insurance utilisation; low (AOR = 0.85, 95% CI 0.73–0.98) and high (AOR = 0.66, 95% CI 0.52–0.85) exposure to mass media, high decision making (AOR = 0.78, 95% CI 0.68–0.91) and high economic empowerment (AOR = 0.63, 95% CI 0.51–0.78). Other socio-demographic factors found significant include; educational level, wealth index, and household size which had a negative association, but residence and region with a positive association. Conclusions A high proportion of Rwandan women had health insurance, but it was negatively associated with women’s empowerment. Therefore, tailoring mass-media material considering the specific knowledge gaps to addressing misinformation, as well as addressing regional imbalance by improving women’s access to health facilities/services are key in increasing coverage of health insurance among women in Rwanda.
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Baynes C, Adedokun L, Awoonor-Williams JK, Hirschhorn LR. Learning Health Systems to Bridge the Evidence-Policy-Practice Gap in Primary Health Care: Lessons From the African Health Initiative. GLOBAL HEALTH, SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022; 10:e2200390. [PMID: 36109063 PMCID: PMC9476491 DOI: 10.9745/ghsp-d-22-00390] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
The compilation of lessons in this supplement on the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation’s African Health Initiative’s work in the application of implementation research in primary health care in sub-Saharan Africa reflects the evolution of the discipline that is now increasingly recognized as integral to health systems strengthening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Colin Baynes
- Department of Global Health, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA.
| | - Lola Adedokun
- Formerly of the Doris Duke Charitable Foundation, New York, NY, USA
| | - John Koku Awoonor-Williams
- Formerly of the Department of Policy, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Ghana Health Service Accra, Ghana
| | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
- Ryan Family Center for Global Primary Care, Havey Institute for Global Health, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
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Manu A, Billah SM, Williams J, Kilima S, Yeji F, Matin Z, Hussein A, Gohar F, Wobil P, Baffoe P, Karim F, Muganyizi P, Mogela D, El Arifeen S, Vandenent M, Aung K, Shetye M, Dickson KE, Zaka N, Pearson L, Hailegebriel TD. Institutionalising maternal and newborn quality-of-care standards in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania: a quasi-experimental study. BMJ Glob Health 2022; 7:bmjgh-2022-009471. [PMID: 36130773 PMCID: PMC9490604 DOI: 10.1136/bmjgh-2022-009471] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Accepted: 08/25/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Introduction Facility interventions to improve quality of care around childbirth are known but need to be packaged, tested and institutionalised within health systems to impact on maternal and newborn outcomes. Methods We conducted cross-sectional assessments at baseline (2016) and after 18 months of provider-led implementation of UNICEF/WHO’s Every Mother Every Newborn Quality Improvement (EMEN-QI) standards (preceding the WHO Standards for improving quality of maternal and newborn care in health facilities). 19 hospitals and health centres (2.8M catchment population) in Bangladesh, Ghana and Tanzania were involved and 24 from adjoining districts served for ‘comparison’. We interviewed 43 facility managers and 818 providers, observed 1516 client–provider interactions, reviewed 12 020 records and exit-interviewed 1826 newly delivered women. We computed a 39-criteria institutionalisation score combining clinical, patient rights and cross-cutting domains from EMEN-QI and used routine/District Health Information System V.2 data to assess the impact on perinatal and maternal mortality. Results EMEN-QI standards institutionalisation score increased from 61% to 80% during EMEN-QI implementation, exceeding 75% target. All mortality indicators showed a downward trajectory though not all reached statistical significance. Newborn case-fatality rate fell significantly by 25% in Bangladesh (RR=0·75 (95% CI=0·59 to 0·96), p=0·017) and 85% in Tanzania (RR=0.15 (95% CI=0.08 to 0.29), p<0.001), but not in Ghana. Similarly, stillbirth (RR=0.64 (95% CI=0.45 to 0.92), p<0.01) and perinatal mortality in Tanzania reduced significantly (RR=0.59 (95% CI=0.40 to 0.87), p=0.007). Institutional maternal mortality ratios generally reduced but were only significant in Ghana: 362/100 000 to 207/100 000 livebirths (RR=0.57 (95% CI=0.33 to 0.99), p=0.046). Routine mortality data from comparison facilities were limited and scarce. Systematic death audits and clinical mentorship drove these achievements but challenges still remain around human resource management and equipment maintenance systems. Conclusion Institutionalisation of the UNICEF/WHO EMEN-QI standards as a package is feasible within existing health systems and may reduce mortality around childbirth. Critical gaps around sustainability must be fundamental considerations for scale-up.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexander Manu
- Nutrition and Public Health Interventions, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine Faculty of Epidemiology and Population Health, London, UK .,Epidemiology and Disease Control, University of Ghana School of Public Health, Accra, Ghana
| | | | - John Williams
- Maternal and Child Health Cluster, Dodowa Health Research Centre, Ghana Health Service, Accra, Ghana
| | - Stella Kilima
- National Institute for Medical Research, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Francis Yeji
- Maternal and Child Health, Navrongo Health Research Centre, Navrongo, Ghana
| | - Ziaul Matin
- Health Section, UNICEF Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | | | - Fatima Gohar
- Maternal and Child Health, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office, Nairobi, Kenya
| | | | | | - Farhana Karim
- MCHD, International Centre for Diarrhoeal Disease Research, Bangladesh, Dhaka, Bangladesh
| | - Projestine Muganyizi
- Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS), Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Deus Mogela
- Blood Transfusion Services, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Kyaw Aung
- Health Section, UNICEF, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | | | | | - Nabila Zaka
- Health Services Academy, Islamabad, Pakistan
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Hospital delivery and neonatal mortality in 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia: An ecological study. PLoS Med 2021; 18:e1003843. [PMID: 34851947 PMCID: PMC8635398 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pmed.1003843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Widespread increases in facility delivery have not substantially reduced neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia over the past 2 decades. This may be due to poor quality care available in widely used primary care clinics. In this study, we examine the association between hospital delivery and neonatal mortality. METHODS AND FINDINGS We used an ecological study design to assess cross-sectional associations between the share of hospital delivery and neonatal mortality across country regions. Data were from the Demographic and Health Surveys from 2009 to 2018, covering 682,239 births across all regions. We assess the association between the share of facility births in a region that occurred in hospitals (versus lower-level clinics) and early (0 to 7 days) neonatal mortality per 1,000 births, controlling for potential confounders including the share of facility births, small at birth, maternal age, maternal education, urbanicity, antenatal care visits, income, region, and survey year. We examined changes in this association in different contexts of country income, global region, and urbanicity using interaction models. Across the 1,143 regions from 37 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia, 42%, 29%, and 28% of births took place in a hospital, clinic, and at home, respectively. A 10-percentage point higher share of facility deliveries occurring in hospitals was associated with 1.2 per 1,000 fewer deaths (p-value < 0.01; 95% CI: 0.82 to 1.60), relative to mean mortality of 22. Associations were strongest in South Asian countries, middle-income countries, and urban regions. The study's limitations include the inability to control for all confounding factors given the ecological and cross-sectional design and potential misclassification of facility levels in our data. CONCLUSIONS Regions with more hospital deliveries than clinic deliveries have reduced neonatal mortality. Increasing delivery in hospitals while improving quality across the health system may help to reduce high neonatal mortality.
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Gage A, Bauhoff S. The effects of performance-based financing on neonatal health outcomes in Burundi, Lesotho, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe. Health Policy Plan 2021; 36:332-340. [PMID: 33491082 PMCID: PMC8058947 DOI: 10.1093/heapol/czaa191] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/07/2020] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Maternal and newborn care has been a primary focus of performance-based financing (PBF) projects, which have been piloted or implemented in 21 countries in sub-Saharan Africa since 2007. Several evaluations of PBF have demonstrated improvements to facility delivery or quality of care. However, no studies have measured the impact of PBF programmes directly on neonatal health outcomes in Africa, nor compared PBF programmes against another. We assess the impact of PBF on early neonatal health outcomes and associated health care utilization and quality in Burundi, Lesotho, Senegal, Zambia and Zimbabwe. We pooled Demographic and Health Surveys and Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys and apply difference-in-differences analysis to estimate the effect of PBF projects supported by the World Bank on early neonatal mortality and low birthweight. We also assessed the effect of PBF on intermediate outputs that are frequently explicitly incentivized in PBF projects, including facility delivery and antenatal care utilization and quality, and caesarean section. Finally, we examined the impact among births to poor or high-risk women. We found no statistically significant impact of PBF on neonatal health outcomes, health care utilization or quality in a pooled sample. PBF was also not associated with better health outcomes in each country individually, though in some countries and among poor women PBF improved facility delivery, antenatal care utilization or antenatal care quality. There was no improvement on the health outcomes among poor or high-risk women in the five countries. PBF had no impact on early neonatal health outcomes in the five African countries studied and had limited and variable effects on the utilization and quality of neonatal health care. These findings suggest that there is a need for both a deeper assessment of PBF and for other strategies to make meaningful improvements to neonatal health outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Gage
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA
| | - Sebastian Bauhoff
- Department of Global Health and Population, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, 665 Huntington Avenue, Building 1, 11th Floor, Boston, MA 02115, USA
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Tuyisenge D, Byiringiro S, Manirakiza ML, Mutsinzi RG, Nshimyiryo A, Nyishime M, Hirschhorn LR, Biziyaremye F, Gitera J, Beck K, Kirk CM. Quality improvement strategies to improve inpatient management of small and sick newborns across All Babies Count supported hospitals in rural Rwanda. BMC Pediatr 2021; 21:89. [PMID: 33607961 PMCID: PMC7893907 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-021-02544-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Accepted: 02/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Neonatal mortality contributes to nearly half of child deaths globally and the majority of these deaths are preventable. Poor quality of care is a major driver of neonatal mortality in low- and middle-income countries. The All Babies Count (ABC) intervention was designed to reduce neonatal mortality through provision of equipment and supplies, training, mentorship, and data-driven quality improvement (QI) with peer-to-peer learning through learning collaborative sessions (LCS). We aim to describe the ABC scale-up in seven rural district hospitals from 2017 to 2019 focusing on the QI strategies implemented in hospital neonatal care units (NCUs) and the resultant neonatal care outcomes. METHODS A pre-post quasi experimental study was conducted in 7 rural hospitals in Rwanda in two phases. The baseline periods were April-June 2017 for Phase I and July-September 2017 for Phase II; with end-line data collected during the same periods in 2019. Data included facility audits of supplies and staffing, LCS surveys of QI skills, and reports of implemented QI change ideas. Data on NCU admissions and deaths were extracted from Health Management Information System (HMIS). Facility-reported change ideas were coded into common themes. Changes in post-post neonatal mortality were measured using Chi-squared tests. RESULTS NCUs were run by a median of 1 nurse [interquartile range (IQR):1-2] at baseline and endline. Median NCU admissions increased from 121 [IQR: 77-155] to 137 [IQR: 79-184]. Availability of advanced equipment improved (syringe pumps: 57-100 %, vital sign monitors: 51-100 % and CPAP machine: 14-100 %). There were significant improvements in QI skills among NCU staff. All 7 NCUs (100 %) addressed non-adherence to protocol as a priority gap, 5 NCUs (86 %) also improved communication with families. NCU case fatality rate declined from 12.4 to 7.8 % (p = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS The ABC package of interventions combining the provision of essential equipment to NCU, clinical training and strong mentorship, QI coaching, and the LCS approach for peer-to-peer learning was associated with significant neonatal mortality reduction and services utilization in the intervention hospitals.
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Affiliation(s)
- David Tuyisenge
- Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, PO. Box 3432, Kigali, Rwanda.
| | | | | | | | | | - Merab Nyishime
- Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, PO. Box 3432, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Lisa R Hirschhorn
- Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, 625 N Michigan Avenue, 60611, Chicago, IL, USA
| | | | | | - Kathryn Beck
- Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, PO. Box 3432, Kigali, Rwanda
| | - Catherine M Kirk
- Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima, PO. Box 3432, Kigali, Rwanda
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