Develop a counseling and communication plan for safe motherhood and newborn care

Project Overview

• Field: Maternal, child health and population
• Duration: 2012
• Funder: Government of the Netherlands, through the Program to Reduce Maternal and Neonatal Mortality, Ministry of Health
• Implementing agency: Consortium of the Center for Environmental and Health Studies (CEHS) and the Center for Community Health Research
• Location: 14 provinces in the Northern mountains and Central Highlands; focused on 7 provinces with high maternal mortality — Điện Biên, Lai Châu, Sơn La, Cao Bằng, Lào Cai, Gia Lai and Đắk Nông

Introduction

The package translated research findings on maternal and neonatal mortality into communication products, evidence dissemination and policy advocacy materials. The work clarified factors associated with maternal death, such as limited knowledge of safe motherhood, home births, delayed access to obstetric emergency care, and service delivery challenges in remote areas.

CEHS's Role

CEHS, with the Center for Community Health Research, directly delivered the package, helping finalize the status report, develop a booklet summarizing research findings, draft technical articles, and prepare a draft intervention project document. The package's products supported scientific communication, workshops, resource mobilization, and proposed solutions to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality in priority areas.

Key Activities

• Finalizing the survey report on maternal and neonatal mortality status across 14 provinces.
• Developing a booklet summarizing research findings for the 7 provinces with high maternal mortality.
• Drafting technical articles on maternal mortality, safe motherhood and newborn care.
• Drafting an intervention project proposal to reduce maternal mortality, supporting fundraising and the next implementation phase.

Key Results

• Completed the communication and technical products required by the Program to Reduce Maternal and Neonatal Mortality.
• Provided evidence on maternal mortality status across 14 provinces, identifying 7 provinces with a high maternal mortality burden requiring priority intervention.
• Clarified the main causes and contributing factors, providing a basis for strengthening communication on antenatal care, facility-based delivery, recognizing danger signs, and seeking timely obstetric care.
• Proposed intervention directions including behavior-change communication, improving essential obstetric services, and strengthening local program supervision and management.