Niger Implementation Science Study

Overview

CHS is partnering with Niger’s Ministry of Health to evaluate the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of expanding a proven maternal and newborn care improvement approach to 218 public maternity hospitals, 95% of such facilities in the country.

The approach modifies best practices identified by quality improvement teams from 51 maternity hospitals. The teams shared experiences and worked together to improve services related to essential obstetric and newborn care, a set of preventive measures that raises the survival rates of mothers and newborns.

The project provides training and supervision to hospital staff and focuses on:

• Active management of the third stage of labor, a set of clinical measures to prevent and treat postpartum hemorrhage, or excessive bleeding after childbirth. Postpartum hemorrhage is the leading cause of maternal deaths;
• Detection and management of eclampsia/pre-eclampsia, a life-threatening pregnancy complication caused by high blood pressure; and
• Essential newborn care.

CHS and the Ministry are conducting this quantitative and qualitative study under the WHO’s Implementation Research Platform.