Closing the Gaps Strategic Grant
The “Closing the Gaps”Portfolio, funded by the Big Lottery Fund, aims at improving Maternal and Neo-natal Health in Ethiopia, Uganda and Malawi, by closing the gap between poor and marginalised communities and quality and accessible maternal and child health services.
It will run for 4 years starting 1st of April 2009, and will reach close to 1,700,000 pregnant women and under-two children.
The partners are Adventist Health Services (AHS) in Malawi, Amhara Development Association (ADA) in Ethiopia, and Uganda Protestant Medical Bureau (UPMB) in Uganda.
The three country projects will work through two complementary strategies:
1. Community Mobilisation and Empowerment, by:
• Increasing demand for services through CBHWs, PEs and TBAs who will be equipped with skills to promote MNH knowledge in the communities.
• Using community monitoring, which enables direct dialogue between service providers and the communities they serve.
• Supporting community managed health support systems, such as radio and transportation schemes, emergency funds and innovative approaches to addressing the costs of care seeking.
2. Health systems strengthening, by:
• Increasing skills of service providers at health facilities,
• Bringing health facilities up to minimum standards for the provision of Essential Obstetric Care (EOC) and Emergency Obstetric Care (EmOC).
• Delivering essential service packages fulfilling national guidelines and strengthening referral systems for EOC and PMTCT of HIV.
The project will achieve the following:
1.Reduction in maternal and neo-natal deaths and morbidity through increasing skilled attendance at birth by 56%.
2.The level of maternal and newborn health services increased to cover 80% with quality services to include essential, comprehensive obstetric care.
3.Improved maternal and neonatal health by increasing number of pregnant women and girls receiving focused ANC (at least four visits) increased by 33% and PMTCT + increased by 75%.
4.Replication of best practice project models resulting in increased capacity of implementing partners, other NGOs in the sector and Government service providers to deliver quality MNH services in each of the focus countries.