The IBP MCH project
The Institutionalizing Best Practices in Maternal and Child Health (IBP-MCH) Project is a three-year project (2009 – 2012) was implemented by John Snow, Inc (JSI) and the Institute for Family Health (IFH). The project builds upon successful experience of reproductive health and maternal and child health activities from previous USAID projects conducted by JSI and IFH at the regional level in Russia. The goal of the project is to decrease maternal and infant mortality in Russia by improving access to, and use of, high quality reproductive health and maternal and child health services in targeted federal districts through the introduction and replication of international best practices to improve birth outcomes. The project also supports development of centers of excellence at the federal district level to foster Russian ownership and promotion of these techniques. In addition, IBP-MCH works to encourage contraceptive use among women of reproductive age who want to postpone pregnancy, so as to decrease abortion rates and improve maternal and infant health through birth spacing.
OBJECTIVES
· Partnership with Federal-level Centers to support their leadership role in operationalizing maternal and child health practices;
· Operationalization and dissemination of approved Maternal and Child Health Guidelines and Best Practices;
· Utilization of experience on optimizing the delivery of maternal and child health/ reproductive health care at regional level to promote the Russian Federation’s three-tiered system of maternal and child health care;
· Improvement of maternal and child health outcomes among high-risk women through improving access to appropriate family planning, prenatal and postnatal care.
The IBP-MCH Project consists of several components:
IMPROVING POLICY ON MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH AND REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH
The project works with regional and federal district partners to develop, adapt and introduce evidence-based policies to improve maternal and child health/ reproductive health. The key interventions include promotion of evidence-based care, implementation of best practices, development of Training and Resource Centers at the federal district level and collaboration with the American College of Obstetricians-Gynecologists (ACOG).
DEMONSTRATION OF BEST MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH/REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PRACTICES
Several of the regions, where previous USAID-funded projects (Maternal and Child Health Initiative I/Maternal and Child Health Initiative II) worked, have the capacity to demonstrate best practices in action. The project supports Vologodskaya and Tyumenskaya Oblasts as models and training sites on delivery of the best practices in maternal and child health care and reproductive health/family planning care.
REGIONALIZATION
IBP-MCH disseminates and operationalizes recommendations to optimize the delivery of maternal and child health care and reproductive health care by applying the concept of regionalization (levels of care) in two pilot regions (Leningradskaya and Kurgansakaya Oblasts).
DEVELOPMENT OF INTEGRATED MODEL OF MEDICAL-SOCIAL ASSISTANCE FOR HIGH-RISK WOMEN
The project seeks to improve maternal and child health outcomes among high-risk women through improving access to appropriate family planning, prenatal and postnatal care in Khanti-Mansiysky Autonomous District and Tyumenskaya Oblast. This entails initial assessments of current practices and development of a model of care for high risk women involving medical and social care.
MONITORING AND EVALUATION
The project implements site visits and various types of audit (maternal and perinatal mortality, “near miss” and quality of care) and developed a tool to evaluate and monitor best practices in perinatal care facilities
The IBP MCH Project was funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).