2. Improving high quality, equitable maternal health services in Malawi (IMCHA)
This project is implemented by the University of Malawi in collaboration with the University of Alberta, in Canada, the African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) and the Ministry of Health in Malawi.
While Malawi has made progress toward better access to skilled delivery with approximately three out of every four women giving birth at a health facility, this has not translated into expected reduction in maternal deaths. Common causes of maternal deaths in Malawi include haemorrhage (bleeding), sepsis (infection) and hypertensive disorders (high blood pressure being one of the signs of this) - all requiring high-quality emergency obstetric care. Through a review of maternal deaths, it was identified that the majority of these deaths take place in health facilities, raising concerns about the poor quality of care. While poor quality of care can directly lead to maternal death, it can also deter women and their families from seeking timely care, with delay in access to care being a major determinant of poor health outcomes.
This project explores how interventions that have been proven to enhance quality of care, specifically the Standards Based Management-Recognition for Reproductive Health initiative, are being operationalized in Malawi. This includes an assessment of the quality of maternal healthcare in facilities, identification of factors that support or undermine effectiveness of the initiative and development of strategies that further enhance its operation.