From 2014 to 2019, USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) partnered with 32 countries to improve health outcomes for women and children and build more resilient, accountable, and responsive health systems. Through the generous support of the American people, MCSP built the capacity of country-led institutions to address health challenges. As a result, […]
Writer: Maternal Health
Exploring the Adaptation of the RED/REC Approach to Other RMNCH Areas in Haiti, Kenya, and Uganda
Reaching Every District/Reaching Every Community/Reaching Every Child (RED/REC) has proven effective for improving immunization coverage and reaching eligible populations, and there is potential to use these same strategies to strengthen other reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) areas. In recognition of this potential, MCSP country programs in Haiti, Kenya, Uganda, and Mozambique supported the […]
Testing Routine Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health Indicators on Quality of Care: Results from Madagascar and Nigeria
This brief presents findings from assessments of WHO-recommended routine RMNCH indicators in Madagascar and Nigeria. The aims of the two assessments were to determine the acceptability, relevance and usefulness, and feasibility of the indicators for quality improvement efforts. The assessments also looked into integrating the RMNCH indicators into the national HMIS. […]
Our First Baby: Engaging First-Time Mothers and Their Partners in Mozambique
In Mozambique, MCSP worked to build on the global evidence and experience by adapting My First Baby, a workbook for young mothers in Nepal. Recognizing the importance of male partners in health-seeking behaviors and household well-being of first-time mothers in Mozambique, MCSP brought a strong gender lens to the design and introduced content on gender […]
Male Engagement and Couples Communication in Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health in Nampula and Sofala Provinces of Mozambique
This qualitative male engagement study by MCSP Mozambique evaluates the feasibility and acceptability of male engagement interventions that encouraged couples’ communication aimed at increasing antenatal care attendance, joint birth preparedness and complication readiness plans, institutional birth, and use of modern Family Planning. The study also explores how decisions between couples are made and what may […]
Building Community Health Worker Capacity in Egypt
USAID’s flagship Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP), or the Improving Maternal, Child Health and Nutrition (IMCHN) project, as it is known in Egypt, has worked in close collaboration with Egypt’s Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP) since April 2015 to strengthen the national community health worker (CHW) program. The MOHP established Egypt’s CHW—also known […]
Improving Service Readiness and Provider Capacity Summary Findings from the Endline Assessment of the MCSP Madagascar Program
MCSP assisted the MOH in Madagascar to improve facility readiness to provide maternal and newborn health services and strengthen clinical practices in 822 facilities across 16 regions. The primary approaches to achieve these objectives included in-service and pre-service training, supportive supervision and mentoring for health facility clinical staff, clinical governance and quality improvement (CG/QI) activities, […]
Zika Pregnancy Wheel
Providers caring for women who live in, travel to, or have partners that travel to areas with active Zika virus transmission, can use the MCSP Zika Pregnancy Wheel as a job aid for counseling clients on key aspects of Zika infection prevention and management as well as estimating GA. This accompanying brief presents a summary […]
Maternal Nutrition Operational Guidance Program Considerations for Low- and Middle-Income Countries
This document provides practical guidance on designing, implementing and strengthening the delivery of maternal nutrition interventions during pregnancy and lactation within the health system. This document is for use by ministries of health, nongovernmental organizations, and other implementing partners who deliver maternal nutrition interventions at the facility and/or community level and desire to add and/or […]
Financial Analysis to Inform the Scale-up and Sustainability of Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, and Child Health Interventions and Services
This document synthesizes MCSP’s efforts to strengthen health systems by analyzing scale-up costs and financial flows for RMNCH services. It includes MCSP’s approach to financial analysis for scale-up and findings from analyses conducted in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ghana, Nigeria, Rwanda, and Uganda. This brief also presents lessons learned to improve future […]