Project profile — Integrated Pathways for Improving Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health

• Malawi (100.00%)

• Basic health care:
Basic health care (12220) (53.00%)
Health personnel development (12281) (40.00%)
• Water And Sanitation: Basic sanitation (14032) (7.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (not targeted)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (not targeted)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

The project aims to strengthen health systems in the districts of Chitipa, Kasungu and Salima in Malawi, by working with local health authorities to improve water, sanitation, and medical waste management systems at health facilities, and through improved capacity of facility and community-based health workers to deliver gender-sensitive maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services. Project activities include: (1) training health workers on the full MNCH continuum of care, including SRHR and the importance of improved sanitation and hygiene as a key measure to prevent infection; (2) establishing and rehabilitating water supply systems, hand washing stations, and medical waste management systems at health facilities; (3) developing and implementing scorecards and other citizen engagement mechanisms to enable communities to communicate their healthcare needs to local government, and provide feedback on whether these needs are being met. This initiative is implemented through a consortium led by CowaterSogema International, and includes Plan International Canada, in collaboration with Plan International Malawi, and the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada.

The expected outcomes for the project include: (1) improved delivery of essential health services, including SRHR, to mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under 5; and (2) improved utilization of essential health services by mothers, pregnant women, newborns and children under 5.

Results achieved as of the end of the project (March 2021) include: (1) 79% of mothers and pregnant women have reported satisfaction with services at the targeted health facilities of the Chitipa District, compared to 52% at the baseline; (2) skilled health personnel in the Kasungu district attended 94% of birth compared to 90% at the baseline; (3) 32% of pregnant women in Chitipa district and 29% of pregnant women in Kasungu district received four antenatal care visits, compared with the baseline of 33.1% and 27.7%, respectively; (4) at least 40% of women and adolescent girl members composed of 100% of the 26 Health Advisory Committees in the project; (5) renovated 19 labour rooms in health facilities(12 in Kasungu, five in Chitipa and two in Salima); and (6) 16 health facilities have operational solar-powered water systems (11 in Kasungu, four in Chitipa and one in Salima).

• Proactive disclosure