The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #64886

Judith Robb-McCord, MAAS, MPH, Maternal and Neonatal Health Program, JHPIEGO Corporation, 1615 Thames Street, Baltimore, MA 21231-3492, (410)537-1911, scrump@jhpiego.net

The Maternal and Neonatal Health Program works to increase maternal and newborn survival by promoting the use of skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. Improving the policy environment for maternal and neonatal survival at the national level is fundamental to this effort. The Program has used a variety of approaches to influence national policymaking in support of safe motherhood. In Indonesia, for example, advocacy and lobbying of decision makers in Kuningan, West Java, have resulted in the allocation of a significant portion of budgetary funds to maternal health. In Guatemala, the implementation of performance and quality improvement in MNH Program areas has contributed to the Ministry of Health’s adoption of the PQI process as the official performance improvement approach for the country’s health services. Collaborative research in East and Southern Africa and West Central Africa has generated data for decision making and created momentum for national policies for the prevention and control of malaria during pregnancy. Finally, using WHO’s international reference manual, Managing Complications in Pregnancy and Childbirth, as both a standard and a model, the Program has worked with partners and collaborators to secure and support the development of national standards and guidelines in several countries. This presentation will consider the strengths, weaknesses, and results of the approaches used, the role of partnerships in determining their effectiveness, and whether and how the approaches can be replicated.

Learning Objectives:

• At the conlcusion of this session, the learner will be able to:
• --Recognize the importance of national policy commitments to sustainable changes in healthcare quality and access in developing countries
• --Describe at least three processes or approaches used to influence changes in national health policy
• --Discuss the effectiveness of these approaches and how they might be replicated

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.