Monthly Progress Report: January 2013

The meeting brought together international experts in newborn, child, and maternal health, as well as leading African researchers who shared their country's experience in addressing bottlenecks to scaling up child survival. Topics discussed included community-based management of newborn sepsis, integrated Community Case Management of childhood illnesses, strategies for reducing stunting, and increasing skilled birth attendance. ASH also submitted a COR letter for the systematic review of evidence on relationships between HIV and maternal mortality. The review will focus on three research questions: what are the demand-side factors that influence women's decisions to use ART during pregnancy, what are the operational/service delivery factors that affect the use of ART among HIV-positive pregnant women, and what are the most effective interventions to reduce maternal mortality among HIV-positive pregnant women. Upon approval of the COR letter by USAID, ASH began recruitment of consultants who will carry out the review. The MNCH Specialist moderated a panel at the Global Maternal Health Conference in Arusha, Tanzania, "Evidence-driven programs and policies on malaria in pregnancy." The Specialist presented findings from the analysis of antenatal patient data from Malawi that analyzed differences between pregnant women who received one and two doses of intermittent preventive therapy for malaria (IPTp). The Specialist also participated in a two-day sub-regional workshop organized by PATH in collaboration with WHO and the Gates Foundation devoted to advancing national malaria in pregnancy action plans in four countries. The ID Specialist prepared a presentation on IPTp following the work done in Malawi and provided a set of materials together with a brief analysis of the incorporation of IPTp into HIV program management. The data provided through the HIV Unit demonstrated a decline in SP stocks in the country and indicated that approximately 50 percent of pregnant women completed three or more ANC visits during pregnancy. In preparation for discussions between the Global Health Bureau and the Africa Bureau, the ID Specialist developed talking points on current and future TB-related support to WHO/AFRO. The ID Specialist also participated in two teleconferences for IDSR, one was a planning meeting with USAID and CDC, and the other was a meeting with WHO/AFRO. The focus of the meetings was on the IDSR communication strategy and evaluation. The HSS team spent most of the month of January providing technical and logistical support to the ALCS meeting in Ethiopia. The M&E Specialist continued to transform the PMP into an M&E Plan with a logical framework, in accordance with the latest ADS guidance. Indicator definitions were revised and expanded. ASH received written confirmation from WAHO of their keen interest in participating in the multi-country HIS study.