Quality in provision of maternity services: the missing link in health-care investments in LMICs?

Michael K Mwaniki

doi:10.1016/s2214-109x(16)30239-x

Abstract

Overall this important area of quality of care will clearly require more research to be fully understood. Better quality monitoring tools also need to be developed with a focus on labour and labour outcome prediction. Meanwhile to complement Kruk and colleagues’ research efforts smaller facilities need to be better equipped with both the requisite and trained human resources for health care as well as with other inputs that are essential to quality provision of EmONC services. (Excerpt) Copyright © The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. Open Access.

Highlights

In The Lancet Global Health Magaret E Kruk and colleagues[1] examine a very important aspect of maternal and newborn health that is poorly studied in low-income countries, namely quality of care
From a geo-public health position, these primary care facilities tend to be much closer in distance to the communities they serve than secondary care facilities. They might crucially alleviate the notable delay in travelling to a viable health facility, as articulated in the three-delay model.[2]
Reduction in maternal and newborn health needs to be seen within the holistic development agenda of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs), not just from a health system improvement perspective

Summary

Introduction

In The Lancet Global Health Magaret E Kruk and colleagues[1] examine a very important aspect of maternal and newborn health that is poorly studied in low-income countries, namely quality of care. Quality in provision of maternity services: the missing link in health-care investments in LMICs?

Results

Conclusion