Maternal mortality has remained a topical issue, even though maternal mortality ratio dropped by 38% globally from 2000-2017[i]. Most high-income countries have low maternal death rates that have consistently decreased in the last two decades, with the exception of the United States that has shown a 16.7% increase since 1990[ii].
Furthermore, significant racial/ethnic disparities in pregnancy-related mortality exist in the US, with black women having a pregnancy-related mortality ratio approximately three times higher than that of white women[iii]. It is therefore no wonder that the US marks the National Minority Health month every April, and the week of April 11-17, 2020 has been set aside to amplify the conversations about black maternal health.
The WHO reports that 94% of all maternal deaths happen in low- and middle-income countries[iv]; and in 2017, Nigeria accounted for 66,000 of the 196,000 maternal deaths that occurred in Sub-Saharan Africa[v].
In a bid to improve maternal (and newborn) health care delivery and outcomes in Nigeria, Health Strategy and Delivery Foundation (HSDF), in partnership with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN) and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation in 2014, commenced implementation of the Nigeria Healthcare Quality Initiative (NHQI) in three Nigerian states.
The prototype phase (November 2014 – September 2017) was associated with a baseline reduction in facility-based maternal deaths of 25%, 34% and 37% respectively in Lagos, Imo, and Niger States after 18–27 months of implementation. This phase demonstrated that a focus on quality improvement (QI) capability building, rapid data testing, implementing change ideas, feedback, and learning can significantly improve facility-based maternal (and neonatal) mortality.
HSDF continues to engage substantively with health care leadership and frontline workers using data from our ongoing work (November 2017 – date) to highlight (contextual) systemic gaps and address intervention priorities. Facilities in the collaboratives have shown consistent improvement in maternal care processes, meeting and even surpassing project targets.
Facilitator demonstrating the steps for breech extraction during the Comprehensive Basic Life Saving Skills Obstetrics training for healthcare workers
As the global thrust towards attaining the Sustainable Development Goal 3 gains momentum, health systems would need to prioritize strategies which deliver quality maternal care that is accessible, if we intend to leave no woman behind.
A break-out session with facility Quality Improvement teams
A healthworker showcasing her hospital’s labour/delivery process map during a ‘market place’ presentation
We are seeking a highly motivated and experienced Grants and Business Development Specialist to join our organization. The successful candidate will be responsible for identifying funding opportunities, developing grant proposals, and fostering partnerships with potential donors and stakeholders (regional and global). This role plays a vital part in securing funds and resources to support our organization’s mission and projects.
The consultant (working with the Accelerator team) will collect results from the tool, organize a meeting with stakeholders to discuss results from the tool, and produce a report on key findings and recommendations from the tool to be shared publicly.
We are currently in search of an experienced Public Health professional in Senegal to work on the anticipated Nutrition Capacity Development and Financing Platform and provide technical assistance to elevate nutrition financing and strengthen local capacity to support these efforts. The Associate must be bilingual (English and French).
