Implementation Plan for Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) in Lao PDR

The program will strengthen key skills for maternal and newborn care among MNH care providers, their educators, and their supervisors. The program will also support the Ministry of Health (MoH) initiative to strengthen supportive supervision of midwives with technical contributions to the national supportive supervision system and tools. The program will focus on three main objectives: improving the quality of maternal and newborn care, supporting the MoH initiative to strengthen supportive supervision of midwives, and supporting process documentation to capture program learning. The geographic focus of the program will be at the national level, with a specific focus on Luang Prabang and Sayaboury provinces. The program will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, United Nations Family Planning Agency, Lao PDR Primary Health Care Program, and other key partners. The program will also engage with policy makers at the national level to offer feedback on the effectiveness of the MCSP Lao PDR approach to skills building and conduct advocacy for effective approaches to be incorporated into national guidelines and initiatives. The program will introduce evidence-based interventions new to most providers and facilities in the geographical focus area, with a skills-based learning approach that has not yet been introduced in Lao PDR. The proposed intervention areas take into account the Government of Lao PDR MoH and USAID's priorities, the burden of maternal and infant mortality, and the context of health service delivery in Lao PDR. The program will support the operationalization of the MoH's Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Revised Strategy, which focuses on strengthening education for maternal and newborn health (MNH) care providers in the country and supporting the roll-out of the Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) package of evidence-based newborn interventions. The program will also support the roll-out of the EENC package, which includes a set of evidence-based newborn interventions that can be implemented at the facility level. The program will be implemented over a two-year period, from February 2015 to September 2017. The program will be led by Save the Children International (SCI) in Lao PDR, with technical support in maternal health from Jhpiego. The program will work closely with the Ministry of Health and other key partners to ensure the successful implementation of the program. The program will have a budget of $1,500,000, which will be provided by the USAID Asia Bureau. The program will also engage with policy makers at the national level to offer feedback on the effectiveness of the MCSP Lao PDR approach to skills building and conduct advocacy for effective approaches to be incorporated into national guidelines and initiatives. The program will focus on several key areas, including: * Strengthening education for maternal and newborn health (MNH) care providers in the country * Supporting the roll-out of the Early Essential Newborn Care (EENC) package of evidence-based newborn interventions * Supporting the operationalization of the MoH's Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Revised Strategy * Improving the quality of maternal and newborn care in Luang Prabang and Sayaboury provinces * Supporting the Ministry of Health initiative to strengthen supportive supervision of midwives The program will use a skills-based learning approach to improve the quality of maternal and newborn care in Luang Prabang and Sayaboury provinces. The program will also engage with policy makers at the national level to offer feedback on the effectiveness of the MCSP Lao PDR approach to skills building and conduct advocacy for effective approaches to be incorporated into national guidelines and initiatives. The program will be implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, World Health Organization, United Nations Family Planning Agency, Lao PDR Primary Health Care Program, and other key partners. The program will also engage with civil society, faith-based organizations, and communities to ensure the successful implementation of the program. The program will have a significant impact on the quality of maternal and newborn care in Luang Prabang and Sayaboury provinces. The program will improve the skills of MNH care providers, their educators, and their supervisors, which will lead to improved quality of care for mothers and newborns. The program will also support the roll-out of the EENC package, which will improve the health outcomes of newborns. The program will also contribute to the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly Goal 3: Ensure healthy lives and promote well-being for all at all ages. The program will also contribute to the achievement of the Lao PDR's National Health Strategy 2011-2020, which aims to improve the health outcomes of the population. Overall, the MCSP Lao PDR program will have a significant impact on the quality of maternal and newborn care in