MNCH2/DFID

MNCH2 is a country-led programme, improving the quality, coverage and demand for integrated maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH), routine immunisation (RI) services, and healthy timing and spacing of pregnancy (HTSP)—in Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Jigawa, Yobe, and Zamfara to accelerate reductions in maternal, newborn and child deaths. The programme provides support and technical assistance to government health systems, building on the achievements and evidence base developed under Partnership for Reviving Routine Immunisation in Northern Nigeria – Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Initiative (PRRINN-MNCH) and Partnership for Transforming Health Systems (PATHS2), as well as Nigerian government initiatives such as Saving One Million Lives (SOML). The expected outcome is to improve access to and delivery of integrated MNCH and RI services, saving the lives of 105,000 pregnant women, newborns, and children in the programme states. The programmes planned results, which we aim to surpass as described above, include1.1 million safe births attended by skilled birth attendants; 1.4 million antenatal care visits; 1.6 children fully immunised 700,000 newborns receiving postnatal checks within 24 hours and 97,000 additional women using a modern method of contraception.

The purpose of MNCH 2 is to improve access to and delivery of MNCH and RI services. Improving MNCH and RI outcomes will require not only better access to services but improved quality of care and integration between and within services (which in turn will impact utilisation). Quality of care underpins all five outputs of MNCH2 with each focused on the delivery of quality integrated RMNCH services in different areas: 1) supporting health facilities: 2) increasing demand 3) improving evidence and accountability; 4) supporting State/LGA health departments to plan and manage resources and 5) using programme learning to inform implementation and influence RMNCH policy and best practice.