Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, And Child Health Research Articles

Equity trends for the UHC service coverage sub-index for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health in Pakistan: evidence from demographic health surveys

BackgroundPakistan, the world's sixth most populous country and the second largest in South Asia, is facing challenges related to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) that are exacerbated by various inequities. RMNCH coverage indicators such as antenatal care (ANC) and deliveries at health facilities have been improving over time, and the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is gradually declining but not at the desired rates. Analysing and documenting inequities with reference to key characteristics are useful to unmask the disparities and to amicably implement targeted equity-oriented interventions.MethodsPakistan Demographic Health Survey (PDHS) based UHC service coverage tracer indicators were derived for the RMNCH domain at the national and subnational levels for the two rounds of the PDHS in 2012 and 2017. These derivations were subgrouped into wealth quintiles, place of residence, education and mothers’ age. Dumbbell charts were created to show the trends and quintile-specific coverage. The UHC service coverage sub-index for RMNCH was constructed to measure the absolute and relative parity indices, such as high to low absolute difference and high to low ratios, to quantify health inequities. The population attributable risk was computed to determine the overall population health improvement that is possible if all regions have the same level of health services as the reference point (national level) across the equity domains.ResultsThe results indicate an overall improvement in coverage across all indicators over time, but with a higher concentration of data points towards higher coverage among the wealthiest groups, although the poorest quintile continues to have low coverage in all regions. The UHC service coverage sub-index on RMNCH shows that Pakistan has improved from 45 to 63 overall, while Punjab improved from 50 to 59 and Sindh from 43 to 55. The highest improvement is evident in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province, which has increased from 31 in 2012 to 51 in 2017. All regions made slow progress in narrowing the gap between the poorest and wealthiest groups, with particularly noteworthy improvements in KP and Sindh, as indicated by the parity ratio. The RMNCH service coverage sub-index gap was the greatest among women aged 15–19 years, those who belonged to the poorest wealth quintile, had no education, and resided in rural areas.ConclusionsAnalysing existing data sources from an equity lens supports evidence-based policies, programs and practices with a focus on disadvantaged subgroups.

Reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health intervention coverage in 70 low-income and middle-income countries, 2000–30: trends, projections, and inequities

Monitoring the progress in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) using the composite coverage index (CCI) is crucial to evaluate the advancement of low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs) towards the attainment of Sustainable Development Goal target 3. We present current benchmarking for 70 LMICs, forecasting to 2030, and an analysis of inequities within and across countries. In this cross-sectional secondary data analysis, we extracted 291 data points from the WHO Equity Monitor, and Demographic and Health Survey Statcompiler for 70 LMICs. We selected countries on the basis of whether they belonged to LMICs, had complete information about the predictors between 2000 and 2030, and had at least one data point related to CCI. CCI was calculated on the basis of eight types of RMNCH interventions in four domains, comprising family planning, antenatal care, immunisations, and management of childhood illnesses. This study examined CCI as the main outcome variable. Bayesian hierarchical models were used to estimate trends and projections of the CCI at regional and national levels, as well as the area of residence, educational level, and wealth quintile. Despite progress, only 18 countries are projected to reach the 80% CCI target by 2030. Regionally, CCI is projected to increase in all regions of Asia (in southern Asia from 51·8% in 2000 to 89·2% in 2030; in southeastern Asia from 58·8% to 84·4%; in central Asia from 70·3% to 87·0%; in eastern Asia from 76·8% to 82·1%; and in western Asia from 56·5% to 72·1%), Africa (in sub-Saharan Africa from 46·3% in 2000 to 72·2% in 2030 and in northern Africa from 55·0% to 81·7%), and Latin America and the Caribbean (from 67·0% in 2000 to 83·4% in 2030). By contrast, southern Europe is predicted to experience a decline in CCI over the same period (70·1% in 2000 to 55·2% in 2030). Across LMICs, CCIs are higher in urban areas, in populations in which women have higher education levels, and in populations with a high income. Governments of countries where the universal target of 80% CCI has not yet been reached must develop evidence-based policies aimed at enhancing RMNCH coverage. Additionally, they should focus on reducing the extent of existing inequalities within their populations to drive progress in RMNCH. Hitotsubashi University and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Community participation for reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health: insights from the design and implementation of the BornFyne-prenatal management system digital platform in Cameroon.

Across communities in low-middle income countries, digital health is currently revolutionizing the delivery of health services, particularly in the field of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services. While studies have shown the effectiveness of mHealth in delivering RMNCH services, there is little information about factors that enhance mHealth services utilization in low-cost settings including stakeholders' level of influence on the implementation of digital health intervention in sub-Saharan Africa. This paper seeks to describe important lessons on the levels of stakeholders' direct or indirect influence on the design and implementation of the BornFyne-PNMS digital health platform to support RMNCH services. A participatory research (PR) design approach was employed to explore stakeholders' perspectives of a new initiative, through direct engagement of local priorities and perspectives. The process of introducing the digital application called the BornFyne-PNMS for district health delivery system and the community, and integrating it within the district health delivery system was guided by research-to-action, consistent with the PR approach. To explore stakeholders' perspectives through a PR approach, we conducted a series of stakeholder meetings fashioned after focus group discussions. Issues around male involvement in the program, sensitization and equity concerns arose. Emergent challenges and proposed strategies for implementation from diverse stakeholders evidently enriched the design and implementation process of the project intervention. Stakeholder meetings informed the addition of variables on the mobile application that were otherwise initially omitted, which will further enhance the RMNCH electronic data collection for health information systems strengthening in Cameroon. This study charts a direction that is critical in digital health delivery of RMNCH in a rural and low-income community and describes the important iterative stakeholder input throughout the study. The strategy of stakeholders' involvement in the BornFyne PNMS implementation charts a direction for ownership and sustainability in the strengthening of Cameroon's health information system.

Socioeconomic inequalities in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health in Guyana: a time trends analysis

Background Guyana is among the countries committed to achieving the sustainable development goals. This research assessed the patterns of change in reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) in Guyana. Methods Four nationally representative surveys conducted from 2009 to 2019 were assessed. Temporal trends in RMNCH indicators were assessed at the national level, by place of residence, and by wealth index. The slope index and concentration index of inequality were calculated to assess trends in inequalities over time. The average absolute annual change (AAAC) of the indicators was calculated using a weighted variance regression. Results From 2006 to 2019, we observed an increase in the coverage of institutional delivery (from 82.6% to 97.7%), and exclusive breastfeeding (from 21.4% to 31.0%), among others. Likewise, antenatal care with four or more visits increased from 77.4% in 2009 to 84.7% in 2019. The opposite was observed for coverage of current contraceptive use (modern methods) (from 32.7% to 28.2%), family planning needed satisfied (from 49.6% to 43.8%), tetanus toxoid in pregnancy (from 31.7% to 8.2%) and full vaccination coverage (from 82.0% to 63.4%). Under-five stunting prevalence decreased from 18.0% to 9.2% and the under-five mortality rate from 40.4 to 29.3 per 1,000 live births. The gap between the poorest and richest women tended to decrease for seven out of the 16 intervention indicators, as well as for under-five stunting prevalence and under-five mortality rate. Institutional delivery was the best performer in increasing coverage and decreasing inequality over time, while immunization with measles was the worst performer. Conclusions Guyana has made great progress in improving its RMNCH indicators. However, the observed decline in the coverage of several RMNCH indicators can be seen as a warning sign to redouble efforts to achieve sustainable development goals, SDGs 1 and 2, by 2030 and to reduce inequalities by lagging no one behind.

Going deeper with health equity measurement: how much more can surveys reveal about inequalities in health intervention coverage and mortality in Zambia?

BackgroundAlthough Zambia has achieved notable improvements in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), continued efforts to address gaps are essential to reach the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Research to better uncover who is being most left behind with poor health outcomes is crucial. This study aimed to understand how much more demographic health surveys can reveal about Zambia’s progress in reducing inequalities in under-five mortality rates and RMNCH intervention coverage.MethodsUsing four nationally-representative Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (2001/2, 2007, 2013/14, 2018), we estimated under-five mortality rates (U5MR) and RMNCH composite coverage indices (CCI) comparing wealth quintiles, urban‐rural residence and provinces. We further used multi-tier measures including wealth deciles and double disaggregation between wealth and region (urban residence, then provinces). These were summarised using slope indices of inequality, weighted mean differences from overall mean, Theil and concentration indices.ResultsInequalities in RMNCH coverage and under-five mortality narrowed between wealth groups, residence and provinces over time, but in different ways. Comparing measures of inequalities over time, disaggregation with multiple socio-economic and geographic stratifiers was often valuable and provided additional insights compared to conventional measures. Wealth quintiles were sufficient in revealing mortality inequalities compared to deciles, but comparing CCI by deciles provided more nuance by showing that the poorest 10% were left behind by 2018. Examining wealth in only urban areas helped reveal closing gaps in under-five mortality and CCI between the poorest and richest quintiles. Though challenged by lower precision, wealth gaps appeared to close in every province for both mortality and CCI. Still, inequalities remained higher in provinces with worse outcomes.ConclusionsMulti-tier equity measures provided similarly plausible and precise estimates as conventional measures for most comparisons, except mortality among some wealth deciles, and wealth tertiles by province. This suggests that related research could readily use these multi-tier measures to gain deeper insights on inequality patterns for both health coverage and impact indicators, given sufficient samples. Future household survey analyses using fit-for-purpose equity measures are needed to uncover intersecting inequalities and target efforts towards effective coverage that will leave no woman or child behind in Zambia and beyond.

Personal data governance and privacy in digital reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health initiatives in Palestine and Jordan: a mapping exercise.

There is a rapid increase in using digital technology for strengthening delivery of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services. Although digital health has potentially many benefits, utilizing it without taking into consideration the possible risks related to the security and privacy of patients' data, and consequently their rights, would yield negative consequences for potential beneficiaries. Mitigating these risks requires effective governance, especially in humanitarian and low-resourced settings. The issue of governing digital personal data in RMNCH services has to date been inadequately considered in the context of low-and-middle-income countries (LMICs). This paper aimed to understand the ecosystem of digital technology for RMNCH services in Palestine and Jordan, the levels of maturity of them, and the implementation challenges experienced, particularly concerning data governance and human rights. A mapping exercise was conducted to identify digital RMNCH initiatives in Palestine and Jordan and mapping relevant information from identified initiatives. Information was collected from several resources, including relevant available documents and personal communications with stakeholders. A total of 11 digital health initiatives in Palestine and 9 in Jordan were identified, including: 6 health information systems, 4 registries, 4 health surveillance systems, 3 websites, and 3 mobile-based applications. Most of these initiatives were fully developed and implemented. The initiatives collect patients' personal data, which are managed and controlled by the main owner of the initiative. Privacy policy was not available for many of the initiatives. Digital health is becoming a part of the health system in Palestine and Jordan, and there is an increasing use of digital technology in the field of RMNCH services in both countries, particularly expanding in recent years. This increase, however, is not accompanied by clear regulatory policies especially when it comes to privacy and security of personal data, and how this data is governed. Digital RMNCH initiatives have the potential to promote effective and equitable access to services, but stronger regulatory mechanisms are required to ensure the effective realization of this potential in practice.

Cost-effectiveness of a direct to beneficiary mobile communication programme in improving reproductive and child health outcomes in India

IntroductionKilkari is the largest maternal messaging programme of its kind globally. Between its initiation in 2012 in Bihar and its transition to the government in 2019, Kilkari was scaled to...

How Zambia reduced inequalities in under-five mortality rates over the last two decades: a mixed-methods study

BackgroundZambia experienced a major decline in under-five mortality rates (U5MR), with one of the fastest declines in socio-economic disparities in sub-Saharan Africa in the last two decades. We aimed to understand the extent to which, and how, Zambia has reduced socio-economic inequalities in U5MR since 2000.MethodsUsing nationally-representative data from Zambia Demographic Health Surveys (2001/2, 2007, 2013/14 and 2018), we examined trends and levels of inequalities in under-five mortality, intervention coverage, household water and sanitation, and fertility. This analysis was integrated with an in-depth review of key policy and program documents relevant to improving child survival in Zambia between 1990 and 2020.ResultsThe under-five mortality rate (U5MR) declined from 168 to 64 deaths per 1000 live births between 2001/2 and 2018 ZDHS rounds, particularly in the post-neonatal period. There were major reductions in U5MR inequalities between wealth, education and urban–rural residence groups. Yet reduced gaps between wealth groups in estimated absolute income or education levels did not simultaneously occur. Inequalities reduced markedly for coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH), malaria and human immunodeficiency virus interventions, but less so for water or sanitation and fertility levels.Several policy and health systems drivers were identified for reducing RMNCH inequalities: policy commitment to equity in RMNCH; financing with a focus on disadvantaged groups; multisectoral partnerships and horizontal programming; expansion of infrastructure and human resources for health; and involvement of community stakeholders and service providers.ConclusionZambia’s major progress in reducing inequalities in child survival between the poorest and richest people appeared to be notably driven by government policies and programs that centrally valued equity, despite ongoing gaps in absolute income and education levels. Future work should focus on sustaining these gains, while targeting families that have been left behind to achieve the sustainable development goal targets.

What’s in a name? Unpacking ‘Community Blank’ terminology in reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health: a scoping review

IntroductionEngaging the community as actors within reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) programmes (referred to as ‘community blank’) has seen increased implementation in recent years. While evidence suggests these...

Maturity Level of Digital Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Initiatives in Jordan and Palestine.

While there is a rapid increase in digital health initiatives focusing on the processing of personal data for strengthening the delivery of reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services in fragile settings, these are often unaccompanied at both the policy and operational levels with adequate legal and regulatory frameworks. The main aim was to understand the maturity level of digital personal data initiatives for RMNCH services within fragile contexts. This aim was performed by choosing digital health initiatives from each country (two in Jordan and three in Palestine) based on RMNCH. A qualitative study design was adopted. We developed a digital maturity assessment tool assessing two maturity levels: the information and communications technology digital infrastructure, and data governance and interoperability in place for the five selected RMNCH initiatives in Jordan and Palestine. Overall, the digital infrastructure and technological readiness components are more advanced and show higher maturity levels compared with data governance and interoperability components in Jordan and Palestine. In Jordan, the overall Jordan stillbirths and neonatal deaths surveillance initiative maturity indicators are somehow less advanced than those of the Electronic Maternal and Child Health Handbook-Jordan (EMCH-J) application. In Palestine, the Electronic Maternal and Child Health-registry initiative maturity indicators are more advanced than both Avicenna and EMCH-Palestine initiatives. The findings highlighted several challenges and opportunities around the application and implementation of selected digital health initiatives in the provision of RMNCH in Jordan and Palestine. Our findings shed lights on the maturity level of these initiatives within fragile contexts. The maturity level of the five RMNCH initiatives in both countries is inadequate and requires further advancement before they can be scaled up and scaled out. Taking the World Health Organization recommendations into account when developing, implementing, and scaling digital health initiatives in low- and middle-income countries can result in successful and sustainable initiatives, thus meeting health needs and improving the quality of health care received by individuals especially those living in fragile contexts.

Co-coverage of reproductive, maternal, newbornand child health interventions shows wide inequalities and is associated with child nutritional outcomes in Ethiopia (2005-2019).

The health system is the primary vehicle for the delivery of nutrition-specific interventions that aim to reduce maternal and child malnutrition. The integration of nutrition interventions into existing health interventions is promising, but to ensure that no one is left behind requires that access to essential health services is equitably distributed. This study aims to assess trends and socioeconomic inequalities in coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) and assess its association with child nutritional outcomes in Ethiopia. Using the Ethiopian Demographic and Health Survey (2005, 2011, 2016, and 2019), we estimated the coverage of RMNCH interventions in Ethiopia using the co-coverage index, which is a count of the number of interventions accessed. We assessed the trend and inequalities in co-coverage and evaluated its association with child nutritional outcomes like stunting, wasting, and minimum dietary diversity (MDD). The national co-coverage index has shown a significant increase over the 2005-2019 period. However, all of the RMNCH interventions constituting the co-coverage index showed a pro-rich and pro-urban distribution (p < 0.05). The highest inequality, based on the slope index of inequality (SII), was observed for skilled assistance during delivery (SII: 80.4%), followed by access to an improved source of drinking water (SII: 62.6%), and antenatal care visits (SII: 55.5%). The low coverage in RMNCH and the observed inequality were associated with stunting, wasting, and MDD. Reducing socioeconomic inequality in RMNCH is key to achieve the health, nutritionand equity-related goals of the Sustainable Development Goals.

Fertility intentions among young people in the era of China’s three–child policy: a national survey of university students

BackgroundThis study aimed to assess the fertility intentions of young people after the announcement of the three–child policy in China and to determine whether knowledge about reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services or support, childbearing- and childbirth-related anxiety, and parenthood–related anxiety influence fertility intentions.MethodsA cross-sectional Internet-based survey was conducted on a nationwide sample of young people aged 18 to 28 years old in education institutions. Factors associated with fertility intentions were analysed using partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM).ResultsOnly 4.2% of males and 1.7% of females intended to have three children or more. On the whole, the majority (40.3%) reported the intention to have two children. The mean and standard deviation (SD) for the total knowledge RMNCH support and/or services knowledge score was 9.5 (SD ± 8.9), out of a possible score of 39. The median and interquartile range (IQR) of childbearing– and childbirth-related anxiety score was 8.0 (IQR = 6.0–9.0), out of a possible score of 10. The median and IQR of parenthood–related anxiety score among the males was 6.0 (IQR = 4.0–9.0) and for females was 7.0 (IQR = 5.0–9.0). Results from PLS-SEM revealed that a higher level of knowledge of RMNCH support and/or services is significantly associated with higher fertility intentions. Both childbearing- and childbirth-related anxiety and parenthood–related anxiety were inversely associated with fertility intentions.ConclusionRaising awareness about RMNCH supportive measures and easing birth- and parenting anxiety are imperative to enhance birth rates. Future policies should pay more attention to these determinants to achieve their intended goal of boosting population growth.

Insight into Nigeria’s progress towards the universal coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services: a secondary data analysis

ObjectiveThis study investigated the progress towards the universal coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) services in Nigeria after universal health coverage (UHC) adoption.DesignA descriptive observational approach was...

Indirect effects of COVID-19 pandemic on reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services in Pakistan.

COVID-19 is having many impacts on health, economy and social life; some due to the indirect effects of closure of health facilities to curb the spread. Closures were implemented in Pakistan from March 2020, affecting provision of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) services. To appraise the effects of containment and lockdown policies on RMNCH service utilization in order to develop an early response to avoid the catastrophic impact of COVID-19 on RMNCH in Pakistan. Routine monitoring data were analysed for indicators utilization of RMNCH care. The analysis was based on Period 1 (January-May 2020, first wave of COVID-19); Period 2 (June-September 2020, declining number of cases of COVID-19); and Period 3 (October-December 2020, second wave of COVID-19). We also compared data from May and December 2020 with corresponding months in 2019, to ascertain whether changes were due to COVID-19. Reduced utilization was noted for all RMNCH indicators during Periods 1 and 3. There was a greater decline in service utilization during the first wave, and the highest reduction (~82%) was among children aged < 5 years, who were treated for pneumonia. The number of caesarean sections dropped by 57%, followed by institutional deliveries and first postnatal visit (37% each). Service utilization increased from June to September, but the second wave of COVID-19 led to another decrease. To reinstate routine services, priority actions and key areas include continued provision of family planning services along with uninterrupted immunization campaigns and routine maternal and child services.

Enhanced Integration of TB Services in Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) Settings in Eswatini.

Tuberculosis (TB) primarily affects women during their reproductive years and contributes to maternal mortality and poor pregnancy outcomes. For pregnant women living with HIV (WLHIV), TB is the leading cause of non-obstetric maternal mortality, and pregnant WLHIV with TB are at increased risk of transmitting both TB and HIV to their infants. TB diagnosis among pregnant women, particularly WLHIV, remains challenging, and TB preventive treatment (TPT) coverage among pregnant WLHIV is limited. This project aimed to strengthen integrated TB and reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health (RMNCH) services in Eswatini to improve screening and treatment for TB disease, TPT uptake and completion among women receiving RMNCH services. The project was conducted from April-December 2017 at four health facilities in Eswatini and introduced enhanced monitoring tools and on-site technical support in RMNCH services. We present data on TB case finding among women, and TPT coverage and completion among eligible WLHIV. A questionnaire (S1 Appendix) measured healthcare provider perspectives on the project after three months of project implementation, including feasibility of scaling-up integrated TB and RMNCH services. A total of 5,724 women (HIV-negative or WLHIV) were screened for active TB disease while attending RMNCH services; 53 (0.9%) were identified with presumptive TB, of whom 37 (70%) were evaluated for TB disease and 6 (0.1% of those screened) were diagnosed with TB. Among 1,950 WLHIV who screened negative for TB, 848 (43%) initiated TPT and 462 (54%) completed. Forty-three healthcare providers completed the questionnaire, and overall were highly supportive of integrated TB and RMNCH services. Integration of TB/HIV services in RMNCH settings was feasible and ensured high TB screening coverage among women of reproductive age, however, symptom screening identified few TB cases, and further studies should explore various screening algorithms and diagnostics that optimize case finding in this population. Interventions should focus on working with healthcare providers and patients to improve TPT initiation and completion rates.

Keeping essential reproductive, maternal and child health services available during COVID-19 in Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda and Zimbabwe: analysis of early-pandemic policy guidelines

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted the provision of essential reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services in sub-Saharan Africa to varying degrees. Original models estimated as many as 1,157,000 additional child and 56,700 maternal deaths globally due to health service interruptions. To reduce potential impacts to populations related to RMNCH service delivery, national governments in Kenya, Mozambique, Uganda, and Zimbabwe swiftly issued policy guidelines related to essential RMNCH services during COVID-19. The World Health Organization (WHO) issued recommendations to guide countries in preserving essential health services by June of 2020.MethodsWe reviewed and extracted content related to family planning (FP), antenatal care (ANC), intrapartum and postpartum care and immunization in national policies from Kenya, Uganda, Mozambique, and Zimbabwe from March 2020 to February 2021, related to continuation of essential RMNCH services during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using a standardized tool, two to three analysts independently extracted content, and in-country experts reviewed outputs to verify observations. Findings were entered into NVivo software and categorized using pre-defined themes and codes. The content of each national policy guideline was compared to WHO guidance related to RMNCH essential services during COVID-19.ResultsAll four country policy guidelines considered ANC, intrapartum care, FP, and immunization to be essential services and issued policy guidance for continuation of these services. Guidelines were issued in April 2020 by Mozambique, Kenya, and Uganda, and in June 2020 by Zimbabwe. Many elements of WHO’s 2020 recommendations were included in country policies, with some notable exceptions. Each policy guideline was more detailed in some aspects than others — for example, Kenya’s guidelines were particularly detailed regarding FP service provision, while Uganda’s guidelines were explicit about immediate breastfeeding. All policy guidance documents contained a balance of measures to preserve essential RMNCH services while reducing COVID-19 transmission risk within these services.ConclusionsThe national policy guidelines to preserve essential RMNCH services in these four countries reflected WHO recommendations, with some notable exceptions for ANC and birth companionship. Ongoing revision of country policy guidelines to adapt to changing pandemic conditions is recommended, as is further analysis of subnational-level policies.

Benefit-risk analysis of maintaining essential Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (RMNCH) services against risk of COVID-19 infection.

With the COVID-19 pandemic spreading across the world, its disruptive effect on the provision and utilization of non- COVID related health services have become well-documented. As countries developed mitigation strategies to help continue the delivery of essential health services through the pandemic, they needed to carefully weigh the benefits and risks of pursuing these strategies. In an attempt to assist countries in their mitigation efforts, a Benefit-Risk model was designed to provide guidance on how to compare the health benefits of sustained essential reproductive, maternal, newborn and child (RMNCH) services against the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infections incurred by the countries' populations when accessing these services. This article describes how two existing models were combined to create this model, the field-testing process carried out from November 2020 through March 2021 in six countries and the findings. The overall Benefit-Risk Ratio in the 6 countries analyzed was found to be between 13.7 and 79.2, which means that for every 13.7 to 79.2 lives gained due to increased RMNCH service coverage, there was one loss of a life related to COVID-19. In all cases and for all services, the benefit of maintaining essential health services far exceeded the risks associated with additional COVID-19 infections and deaths. This modelling process illustrated how essential health services can continue to operate during a pandemic and how mitigation measures can reduce COVID-19 infections and restore or increase coverage of essential health services. Overall, this Benefit-Risk analysis underscored the importance and value of maintaining coverage of essential health services even during public health emergencies, including the recent COVID-19 pandemic.

Analyzing program data and promotional approaches to inform best practices from a mobile phone-based reproductive health message program in Afghanistan.

ObjectiveDigital health technologies have contributed to the adoption of beneficial reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) behaviors through social and behavior change programming, including in hard-to-reach settings. On-demand digital health interventions rely on promotions to build awareness and increase use among target audiences. There is little research on preferred content and use of promotional approaches for RMNCH digital health activities.MethodsWe conducted a retrospective descriptive analysis of Mobile for Reproductive Health (m4RH) data in Afghanistan to assess the use and changes in call volume via the 2-3-4 platform by promotional approaches over 23 months between October 2017 and August 2019.ResultsThere were 103,859 completed messages (CM) heard. Most callers reporting demographics were under 18 years, with roughly even distribution by gender. The number of CMs listened to across all menus increased with time. The basic m4RH family planning menu was most popular, with callers most frequently selecting information on intrauterine contraceptive devices. Nine types of promotional approaches were implemented. Compared against call volume, SMS blast promotion was the most productive promotional approach, radio broadcasts had modest increases, and social media and interpersonal communication demonstrated no clear change.Conclusionsm4RH use increased over time, particularly among younger people. The number of promotional approaches used does not appear as important as the type of approach used to generate program awareness. Mass media communications, including SMS blast promotions and radio broadcasts, may be the most effective strategies. Deeper program data analysis can guide tailoring of message content and promotional approaches to reach target audiences with the RMNCH content they most value.

COVID-19 and Health Sector Development Plans in Africa: The Impact on Maternal and Child Health Outcomes in Uganda.

IntroductionHealth Sector Development Plans (HSDPs) aim to accelerate movement towards achieving sustainable development goals for health, reducing inequalities, and ending poverty. Reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) services are vulnerable to economic imbalances, including health insecurity, unmet need for healthcare, and low health expenditure. The same vulnerability influences the potential of a country to combat global outbreaks such as the COVID-19. We aimed to provide some important insights into the impacts of COVID-19 on RMNCH indicators and outcomes of the HSDP in Uganda.MethodsWe conducted a descriptive study of secondary data obtained from the Ugandan government-led portals, supplemented by analyses of relevant articles published up to 06 May 2021 and deposited in PubMed.ResultsThrough synthesizing actionable and relevant evidence, we realized that RMNCH in Uganda is highly affected by the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown measures. The impact was across immunization, antenatal, sexual and reproductive health, emergency and obstetric, and postnatal care services. There was a decline sharply by 9.6% for under-five vitamin A coverage, 9% for DPT3HibHeb3 coverage, 6.8% for measles vaccination coverage, 6% for isoniazid preventive therapy coverage, and 3% for facility-based deliveries. Maternal and under-five deaths increased by 7.6% and 4%, respectively. Outreaches were rarely conducted in the lockdown period.ConclusionThe COVID-19 pandemic has created a multitude of questions regarding the optimal policies to mitigate the disease while minimizing the unintended detrimental consequences of RMNCH. The lockdown restrictions threatened to reverse the progress made on the national HSDP for RMNCH. In Uganda, where young women are vulnerable to early marriage, unintended pregnancies, and unsafe abortion, access to RMNCH services should continue regardless of the COVID-19 status in the country. We urge that Uganda and other African countries should build resilient and sustainable health systems that can withstand emerging diseases like the COVID-19.

Socioeconomic inequalities in effective service coverage for reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health: a comparative analysis of 39 low-income and middle-income countries.

BackgroundReducing socioeconomic inequalities in access to good quality health care is key for countries to achieve Universal Health Coverage. This study aims to assess socioeconomic inequalities in effective coverage of reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health (RMNCH) in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs).MethodsUsing the most recent national health surveys from 39 LMICs (between 2014 and 2018), we calculated coverage indicators using effective coverage care cascade that consists of service contact, crude coverage, quality-adjusted coverage, and user-adherence-adjusted coverage. We quantified wealth-related and education-related inequality using the relative index of inequality, slope index of inequality, and concentration index.FindingsThe quality-adjusted coverage of RMNCH services in 39 countries was substantially lower than service contact, in particular for postnatal care (64 percentage points [pp], p-value<0·0001), family planning (48·7 pp, p<0·0001), and antenatal care (43·6 pp, p<0·0001) outcomes. Upper-middle-income countries had higher effective coverage levels compared with low- and lower-middle-income countries in family planning, antenatal care, delivery care, and postnatal care. Socioeconomic inequalities tend to be wider when using effective coverage measurement compared with crude and service contact measurements. Our findings show that upper-middle-income countries had a lower magnitude of inequality compared with low- and lower-middle-income countries.InterpretationReliance on the average contact coverage tends to underestimate the levels of socioeconomic inequalities for RMNCH service use in LMICs. Hence, the effective coverage measurement using a care cascade approach should be applied. While RMNCH coverages vary considerably across countries, equitable improvement in quality of care is particularly needed for lower-middle-income and low-income countries.FundingNone.