1. Dear Jhpiegofamily,
I am pleased toinformyouthat BMC Pregnancy &Childbirth has publishedthe article“Countingevery
stillbirthand neonatal deaththrough mortality audit to improve qualityof care for everypregnant
woman and herbaby,” whichis part of the Every Woman,EveryNewbornsupplement.The articles was
authoredby Kate Kerber(Save the Children/USA),MatthewsMathai (WHO),GwynethLewis(University
College London),Vicki Flenady(Universityof Queensland),JanJaapHMErwich (Universityof
Groningen),Tunde Segun(Evidence forAction/Nigeria),PatrickAliganyira(Save the Children/Uganda),
Ali Abdelmegeid(Jhpiego),EmmaAllanson(Universityof WesternAustralia),Nathalie Roos(WHO),
NatashaRhoda (Universityof Cape Town),Joy Lawn(LondonSchool of Hygiene andTropical Medicine),
and RobertPattinson(Universityof Pretoria).
The authors of thisarticle pointoutthat while there iswidespreadacknowledgmentof the needfor
improvedqualityandquantityof informationonbirths anddeaths,there hasbeenlimited movement
towardssystematicallycapturingandreviewingthe causesandavoidable factorslinkedtodeaths,which
are neededinordertoaffectchange. To track the progressof policiesonmortalityaudits, the authors
assessedthe statusof maternal deathnotificationandreviewedpolicyandstrategydocumentsand
national guidelinesin selectedcountriestodeterminewhetheraprocessforperinatal mortalityaudit
implementationwasinplace orunderwayat a national level.They alsoreviewedthe currentevidence
for facility-basedperinatal mortalityauditwithafocusonlow- and middle-income countrieswhere the
majorityof the world'sbirthsanddeathsoccur. Theyauthors identifiedchallengesandcontext-specific
solutionsandcategorizedthemintothematicareasandlinkedtothe WHOhealthsystembuilding
blocksframework,addingcommunityownershipandparticipation.
The authors foundthatmaternal deathsurveillance andreview ismovingrapidlywithmanycountries
enactingandimplementingpoliciesandwithaccountabilitybeyondthe single facilityconductingthe
audits.While 51 prioritycountries hadapolicyonmaternal deathnotification in2014, only17 countries
had a policyforreportingandreviewingstillbirthsandneonatal deaths.
Theyfoundthe primarychallengeswithinthe healthsystembuildingblockswereinthe areaof
leadershipandhealthinformation. High-income countries providedexamplesof successful
implementationexistandselectlow- andmiddle-incomecountriesprovidedvaluablelessons,especially
on the needforleadershipforeffective auditsystems andonthe developmentand use of clear
guidelinesandprotocolsinordertoensure thatthe auditcycle is completed.
The authors concludedthatwhile healthworkershave the powertochange what isinfront of them,
inputsare neededateverylevelof the healthsystemandbeyond.The mortalityauditsystemrequires
leaderstochampionthe process,especiallytoensure ano-faultenvironment,andtoaccesschange
agentsat otherlevelstoaddresslarger,systemicconcerns.Theynote thatthe benefitsof auditsand
feedbackhave beenacknowledgedbydevelopmentpartnersandgovernmentstopreventdeathsof
mothers,itshouldalsobe usedtopreventthe deathsof theirbabies.
To read the full article,clickhere: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/15/S2/S9
Please joinme inrecognizingandcongratulatingthe authors of the article,aswell asthe following
[Jhpiegostaff] whosupportedthe studyandwritingof thisarticle:
Great work,team!
Bestregards,
![Dear Jhpiegofamily,
I am pleased toinformyouthat BMC Pregnancy &Childbirth has publishedthe article“Countingevery
stillbirthand neonatal deaththrough mortality audit to improve qualityof care for everypregnant
woman and herbaby,” whichis part of the Every Woman,EveryNewbornsupplement.The articles was
authoredby Kate Kerber(Save the Children/USA),MatthewsMathai (WHO),GwynethLewis(University
College London),Vicki Flenady(Universityof Queensland),JanJaapHMErwich (Universityof
Groningen),Tunde Segun(Evidence forAction/Nigeria),PatrickAliganyira(Save the Children/Uganda),
Ali Abdelmegeid(Jhpiego),EmmaAllanson(Universityof WesternAustralia),Nathalie Roos(WHO),
NatashaRhoda (Universityof Cape Town),Joy Lawn(LondonSchool of Hygiene andTropical Medicine),
and RobertPattinson(Universityof Pretoria).
The authors of thisarticle pointoutthat while there iswidespreadacknowledgmentof the needfor
improvedqualityandquantityof informationonbirths anddeaths,there hasbeenlimited movement
towardssystematicallycapturingandreviewingthe causesandavoidable factorslinkedtodeaths,which
are neededinordertoaffectchange. To track the progressof policiesonmortalityaudits, the authors
assessedthe statusof maternal deathnotificationandreviewedpolicyandstrategydocumentsand
national guidelinesin selectedcountriestodeterminewhetheraprocessforperinatal mortalityaudit
implementationwasinplace orunderwayat a national level.They alsoreviewedthe currentevidence
for facility-basedperinatal mortalityauditwithafocusonlow- and middle-income countrieswhere the
majorityof the world'sbirthsanddeathsoccur. Theyauthors identifiedchallengesandcontext-specific
solutionsandcategorizedthemintothematicareasandlinkedtothe WHOhealthsystembuilding
blocksframework,addingcommunityownershipandparticipation.
The authors foundthatmaternal deathsurveillance andreview ismovingrapidlywithmanycountries
enactingandimplementingpoliciesandwithaccountabilitybeyondthe single facilityconductingthe
audits.While 51 prioritycountries hadapolicyonmaternal deathnotification in2014, only17 countries
had a policyforreportingandreviewingstillbirthsandneonatal deaths.
Theyfoundthe primarychallengeswithinthe healthsystembuildingblockswereinthe areaof
leadershipandhealthinformation. High-income countries providedexamplesof successful
implementationexistandselectlow- andmiddle-incomecountriesprovidedvaluablelessons,especially
on the needforleadershipforeffective auditsystems andonthe developmentand use of clear
guidelinesandprotocolsinordertoensure thatthe auditcycle is completed.
The authors concludedthatwhile healthworkershave the powertochange what isinfront of them,
inputsare neededateverylevelof the healthsystemandbeyond.The mortalityauditsystemrequires
leaderstochampionthe process,especiallytoensure ano-faultenvironment,andtoaccesschange
agentsat otherlevelstoaddresslarger,systemicconcerns.Theynote thatthe benefitsof auditsand
feedbackhave beenacknowledgedbydevelopmentpartnersandgovernmentstopreventdeathsof
mothers,itshouldalsobe usedtopreventthe deathsof theirbabies.
To read the full article,clickhere: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1471-2393/15/S2/S9
Please joinme inrecognizingandcongratulatingthe authors of the article,aswell asthe following
[Jhpiegostaff] whosupportedthe studyandwritingof thisarticle:
Great work,team!
Bestregards,](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/dba3be4a-aacb-431c-ae3b-32489d5d0193-151129201349-lva1-app6892/85/BMCPreg-1-320.jpg)
