Recently Completed Projects

Changing the Role of the Traditional Birth Attendant, Somaliland

Overall objective of the project

Between 2009 and 2012, Health Poverty Action (HPA) implemented an EU funded program in Somaliland entitled ‘Improving the Reproductive and Sexual Health of Internally Displaced People, Maroodi Jeex, Somaliland’.A unique aspect of the program was Traditional Birth Attendant (TBA) training and incentivization to change TBAs from practicing as providers of maternal health services, including deliveries in the home, to health promoters and birth companions.

Specific objectives of the TA

Since the project ended, TA has been assisting HPA in carrying out a study on how the training and incentivization project had worked and its effects on the target communities. Eight Key Informant Interviews (KII) and 10 Focus Group Discussions (FGD) were conducted, involving 32 TBAs and 32 mothers. A framework approach was used to analyse the data. As a result, TBAs adopted their new role easily. Instead of conducting home births and referring at onset of complications, they accompanied or referred mothers to a nearby MCHCF for delivery, antenatal or postnatal care. Mothers accepted the new role of the TBA leading to more deliveries at health facility level and a decrease in home births. Facilitating factors included the creation of an enabling environment at the health facilities, acceptance of the TBA by the SBA and monetary incentivization.

Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunisation in Northern Nigeria-Maternal Newborn and Child Health

Overall objective of the project
To improve maternal, newborn and child health in Northern Nigeria specifically by improving effective access to MNCH (including Routine Immunisation) services in four states (Katisan, Yobe, Zamfara and Jigawa)

Purpose of the TA
Support the central and local government agent (LGA) level to improve management and delivery of maternal and newborn health – the provision of TA included all aspects of maternal, newborn and child health listed in seven outputs as follows;

1. Strengthening State and LGA governance of PHC systems geared to RI and MNCH
2. Improved human resource policies and practices for PHC
3. Improved delivery of RI and MNCH services via the PHC system
4. Operational research providing evidence for PHC stewardship, RI and MNCH policy and planning, service delivery and effective demand creation
5. Improved information generation with knowledge being used in policy and practice
6. Increased demand for RI and MNCH services
7. Improved capacity of Federal Ministry level to enable States’ routine immunisation and MNCH activities

TA service results

• Strengthen workforce planning for health services
• Support the training of MNCH workers
• Strengthen maternal care

Support to the Delivery of Essential Health Services (EHS), kenya.

Overall objective of the project
To support the Government of Kenya and the Ministries of Public Health and Sanitation and of Medical Services (MOPHS and MOMS), under the auspices of the Second National Health Sector Strategic Plan (NHSSPII), to provide integrated effective health services in Kenya, particularly for poor women and infants. The project will:

• Provide an integrated and multi-level approach to strengthen health systems in order to improve maternal health.
• Provision of technical assistance to central and provincial MOH.
• Support to service provision of essential health services in 6 districts of Nyanza province including innovative support to supply of and demand for maternal health services.

Purpose of the TA
Support the central and provincial level to improve management and delivery of maternal ad newborn health – the provision of TA included all aspects of maternal health from strategic planning to service delivery, Quality of Care of services provided and M&E. 

TA service results

• Development of national strategy and policy relating to reproductive health as well as guidelines.
• Provision of training guidelines and courses for maternal and newborn health service provision.
• Strengthened districts’ ability to develop annual plans to deliver essential health services, manage data, and establish referral systems for emergency care from lower level health facilities to those operating at a higher level.

Technical Assistant to Health Priorities, South Sudan.

Overall objective of the project
Capacity building in specific technical areas at Government Ministry of Health (MOH) and State MOH levels in health policy-making, sectoral reform, resource mobilisation and use and service delivery.

Purpose of the TA
Deliver expert technical assistance and advice for specific health priority areas identified by the Ministry of Health of South Sudan, and provide capacity development through working closely with staff of the central MOH, the State MOHs and the County Health Departments.

TA service results

• Five Year Health Strategic Plan and Planning & Budgeting Unit for South Sudan.
• Communication Protocol for the Dissemination of Health Policy and Strategy throughout South Sudan.
• Support for Human Resources Development within the MOH.
• Mapping exercise provided detailed information on the status of the health training facilities in South Sudan.
• Support to the restructuring of the MOH, State MOHs, teaching hospitals, state hospitals and the Medical Commission of South Sudan.
• Reviewed and provided recommendations for development of the community midwifery programme in South Sudan.
• Provided support for the development of a research policy and strengthening of the research ethics committee.
• Helped strengthen the management and administration of the three teaching hospitals in South Sudan, including production of the national Hospital Framework.
• Re-establishment of medical education in South Sudan.
• Helped the MOH put together the 2009 and 2010 health sector budgets.
• Reviewed the status of financial management capacity in the MOH and State MOHs.
• Reviewed the status of procurement capacity in the health sector.
• Provided long term support for the Department of Research, Monitoring and Evaluation in the Ministry of Health.
• Conducted health performance mapping survey of all states in South Sudan to identify state of health services in South Sudan in 2008/09.
• Supported roll out of the Routine Health Management Information System (R-HMIS) of South Sudan.
• Developed, field test and deploy a practical Quantitative Supervisory Checklist (QSC) for all health facilities in the country.
• Supported the setting up of DHIS as the Health Management Information Systems database in the MOH, States and County Health Departments.
• Conducted a Rapid-Health Facility Assessment (R-HFA) in all ten states of South Sudan.
• Conducted a Community-based Household Survey using Lot Quality Assurance Sampling (LQAS) in all 79 counties of South Sudan.
• Provided technical support to the MOH for the 2010 South Sudan MICS4 Household Health Survey.