The April 2022 Collective was hosted by AlignMNH in collaboration with thought partner World Health Organization (WHO), from April 4-6, 2022 and brought the maternal newborn health community together to discuss emerging evidence, implementation successes, and promising solutions to accelerate progress towards MNH targets.

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Tracking Progress

This session provided an overview of the latest evidence on maternal and newborn mortality and stillbirths, coverage of evidence-based interventions, and the effects of the COVID 19 pandemic on maternal and newborn health. Various panelists shared lessons learned and the session brought together the perspectives of researchers, policy-makers and implementers on the current state, challenges and opportunities for maternal and newborn health programming and monitoring. Questions ranged from changes in the delivery of care to the identification of emerging innovations for strengthening data systems, framed within the context of the path to the SDGs.

Session Resources

• Scoping Review of Interventions to Maintain Essential Services for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Older People During Disruptive Events, WHO, 2021
• Maintaining the Provision and Use of Services for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Older People During the COVID-19 Pandemic, WHO, 2021
• Levels and Trends in Child Mortality Report, UNICEF, WHO, World Bank, United Nations Population Division, 2021
• Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) Coverage Targets for 2025: Infographic, UNFPA, WHO, 2021
• The Road to 2030: AlignMNH Opening Forum Video in collaboration with Countdown to 2030, WHO, and UNICEF, AlignMNH, Countdown to 2030, WHO, UNICEF, 2021
• MNH Targets, Measurement, and Data Issues Collection, AlignMNH, 2021

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Respectful Care

These engaging regional dialogues represented a unique opportunity to amplify the voices from Africa and Asia exploring strategies to move respectful care into practice, drawing on current evidence and country experiences. Panelists from diverse vantage points, from advocacy to health systems to research, came together to reflect on what is needed to ensure that respectful maternal and newborn care becomes a reality for all.

Session Resources

• Global Health Compassion and Respectful Maternal & Newborn Care: Exploring Intersections & Synergies, WHO, 2021
• The First 2 h After Birth: Prevalence and Factors Associated with Neonatal Care Practices from a Multicounty, Facility-based, Observational study, The Lancet Global Health, 2020
• Operationalizing a Human Rights-Based Approach to Address Mistreatment against Women during Childbirth, Health and Human Rights Journal, 2020
• How Women are Treated During Facility-Based Childbirth in Four Countries: a Cross-Sectional Study with Labour Observations and Community-Based Surveys, The Lancet Global Health, 2019
• WHO Labour Care Guide: User’s Manual, WHO, 2021
• Respectful Care Issues Collection, AlignMNH, 2021

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Quality of Care

Quality of care leaders (policy-makers, implementing partners and researchers) shared their experience and learning in their efforts to improve quality of care for maternal and newborn health and develop quality systems to support implementation. They explored opportunities around leadership, learning action, learning, and accountability.

Session Resources

• The Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health: Evolution, Implementation and Progress 2017-2020 Report, WHO, Quality of Care Network, 2021
• Summary Brief: Evolution, Implementation and Progress 2017-2020 Report, Quality of Care Network, 2021
• Leadership for Quality: A Brief on Progress and Learning from Implementation 2017-2020, Quality of Care Network, 2021
• Action for Quality: A Brief on Progress and Learning from Implementation 2017-2020, Quality of Care Network, 2021
• Learning & Accountability for Quality: A Brief on Progress and Learning from Implementation 2017-2020, Quality of Care Network, 2021
• Quality of Care Issues Collection, AlignMNH, 2021