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Graphic art courtesy of Liz Eddy/MCSP

March 26th: Measurement Matters! Improving Routine RMNCAH Data for Better Outcomes

Posted March 12, 2019

In order to reach the Sustainable Development Goals, countries are focusing on improving the coverage, quality and equity of high-impact reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health (RMNCAH) interventions. Improvements in RMNCAH outcomes cannot be achieved without robust methods to track progress and the availability of timely and high quality data to allow health workers and managers to make good decisions.

For health workers and managers to use the right data at the right time and place, countries must identify and define key RMNCAH indicators and include them in national health management information systems (HMIS); national health information systems (HIS) must be strong enough to collect high quality data; and tools and processes must exist for health workers and managers with the right competencies to analyze, visualize and ultimately use data to make good decisions.

On March 26th, MCSP and partners reflected on experiences in promoting better measurement and data use at the global and country levels over the last five years. With more than 300 webinar participants, we considered progress to date, key learning, and directions to improve routine RMNCAH data for action and accountability at the global and country levels.

For more information, check out the social media toolkit and join the conversation using #DataforHealth. A recording of the event is available here; all presentations can be found here.

Opening Remarks

  • Bill Weiss, Senior Monitoring & Evaluation Advisor, Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, Bureau for Global Health, USAID
  • Barbara Rawlins, Monitoring and Evaluation Team Lead, MCSP

Evolution of Globally Recommended Routine RMNCAH Metrics

  • Dr. Allisyn Moran, Scientist, Epidemiology Monitoring and Evaluation in the Department of Maternal, Newborn Child and Adolescent Health, World Health Organization

Improving the RMNCAH Content of National HMIS

  • Barbara Rawlins, Monitoring and Evaluation Team Lead, MCSP
  • Betuel Sigauque, Technical Director, MCSP/Mozambique

Strengthening the Functioning of Health Information Systems

  • Derek Kunaka, Senior Health Information Systems Advisor, MEASURE Evaluation
  • Kate Gilroy, Senior Child Health and Measurement, Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Technical Advisor, MCSP

Promoting Analysis, Visualization and Use of Routine RMNCAH Data for Action at the Point of Care

  • Dr. Chibugo Okoli, Deputy Chief of Party, MCSP/Nigeria
  • Asnakew Tsega, Senior Immunization Technical Advisor, MCSP

Closing Remarks

  • Nefra Faltas, Child Health Advisor, Office of Maternal and Child Health and Nutrition, Bureau for Global Health, USAID
  • Dr. Koki Agarwal, Director, MCSP
Maternal and Child Survival Program