Quarterly Report Format for MCHIP Country Programs (2011)

As part of USAID's expanded MCH programming to include a more significant focus on maternal and neonatal health, USAID/Madagascar provided funding to MCHIP at the beginning of Fiscal Year (FY) 2010. One of MCHIP's primary roles has been to provide technical assistance to USAID bilateral programs, donors, professional associations, and other collaborating partners for the introduction and scale-up of high-impact interventions. MCHIP has accomplished several key objectives since achieving registration status in December 2010. Notable achievements include the development of a cadre of 37 clinical trainers well-versed in clinical training techniques and key aspects of maternal and neonatal health. Since project inception, MCHIP has increased the capacity of 539 physicians and midwives to provide quality care for women and newborns experiencing complications related to postpartum hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, infections, and neonatal asphyxia. Complementing the efforts of the Santenet2 project, MCHIP has also increased the capacity of 330 Community Agents to provide essential maternal and newborn care, particularly their ability to respond appropriately to women and newborns with complications, through training on community-level maternal and neonatal health in the three demonstration districts of Fenerive Est, Taolagnaro, and Ambatondrazaka. MCHIP's program objectives include providing support and technical leadership in maternal and child health, contributing nationally relevant program learning on integrated health approaches to maternal and neonatal health, and increasing uterotonic coverage to prevent postpartum hemorrhage through professional association members and community agents in the district of Fenerive Est. Key activities include providing technical assistance to local professional associations, social franchises, USAID bilateral programs, and other collaborating partners. During the second quarter of FY 2012, MCHIP strengthened the pool of qualified maternal and newborn health trainers in Madagascar by evaluating and qualifying three candidate trainers. The organization also introduced and reinforced key supervision approaches and tools to ensure the transfer of learning takes place by providers in clinical sites after training in maternal and neonatal health skills. MCHIP conducted a dissemination workshop for the Quality of Maternal and Newborn Health Care (QoC) study, which aimed to encourage key stakeholders to implement study recommendations in a coordinated fashion to address gaps in healthcare service delivery. MCHIP increased the capacity of 54 physicians and midwives to provide quality care for women and newborns experiencing complications related to postpartum hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, infections, and neonatal asphyxia through trainings in targeted maternal and neonatal health knowledge and skills in six provinces throughout Madagascar. The organization also increased the capacity of an additional 121 Community Health Workers to provide essential maternal and newborn care through training on community-level maternal and neonatal health in the three demonstration districts of Fenerive Est, Taolagnaro, and Ambatondrazaka. The QoC study dissemination workshop was a working meeting where local stakeholders discussed and developed action plans to address the identified gaps in healthcare service delivery. Approximately 30 participants attended the workshop, and four small groups worked on implementation plans to address the identified gaps in service delivery in the areas of infection prevention, prevention, identification, and management of postpartum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, and newborn resuscitation.