The USAID Health Services Quality Accelerator Activity in Jordan will focus on improving the quality of equitable reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health services. Photo credit: URC

Jordan is well known in the region for its vibrant economy, strong government, and engaged civil society. The country has made significant investments to strengthen its health system and improve the health and health care of its population. However, Jordan’s high population growth rate threatens its long-term sustainable development. There is a large unmet need for family planning awareness, availability, and uptake, and progress is still needed to reduce infant and child mortality.

In this context URC will implement the five-year USAID Health Services Quality Accelerator Activity in Jordan, which will engage health system stakeholders to accelerate and sustain improvements in equitable reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) outcomes. The activity aims to improve the quality of equitable RMNCH services and strengthen Jordan Ministry of Health (MOH) leadership and governance capacity to lead improvements in quality of care.

“The project team brings global expertise in evidence-based models for improving RMNCH,” said Carlos Cuéllar, URC Executive Vice President. “URC also has a deep understanding of Jordan’s complex and dynamic context and opportunities for increased equity, quality, accountability, and private sector engagement.”

Through the Health Services Quality Accelerator Activity in Jordan, URC’s participatory, problem-driven approach will unlock Jordan’s potential by accelerating improvements and sustaining them through scalable, innovative, and locally-driven solutions. The team will help local stakeholders adapt and lead innovative models in response to the evolving epidemiological and sociopolitical context.

URC helped establish the Jordan MOH Quality Directorate in the 1990s and implemented the Jordan Healthcare Accreditation Project from 2007 to 2013. Support from the latter project helped the Health Care Accreditation Council – responsible for improving the quality of care through accreditation, consultation, and capacity building – become a self-sustaining local organization.

URC’s Health Services Quality Accelerator Activity in Jordan partners include:

  • Georgetown University, with global expertise in implementation research, provider behavior change, and policy development;
  • Al Jidara, a Jordanian development consulting firm with demonstrated success in institutionalizing private sector engagement solutions and policy development;
  • Durrat Almanal, a Jordanian not-for-profit organization, specialized in social accountability, gender, and inclusive development; and
  • The Jordanian Health Care Accreditation Council, responsible for developing health care standards.