We engage governments, health service providers, and communities to design and implement high-impact and integrated approaches to the most pressing challenges facing mothers and families. Globally, the leading causes of maternal death are hemorrhage, preeclampsia/eclampsia, sepsis and complications of unsafe abortion. In response, much of FHI 360’s maternal health work focuses on improving obstetric and postabortion care, training health care providers to respond quickly in emergencies, and strengthening the systems that ensure timely access to care. Our approaches consider patient experience, respectful provider care, and overall well-being, and are designed to support parents, adolescents and families.
While utilization of maternal health services has increased overall, equity and service quality remain a challenge. We work with governments, funders and local organizations to design and implement solutions that strengthen health systems to deliver high-quality and patient-centered care with an equity lens. For example, the Alcançar project in Mozambique, funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by a consortium led by FHI 360, seeks to reduce maternal mortality in Nampula and Zambézia provinces through quality improvement initiatives, technical assistance and clinical mentoring, and community engagement. The project delivers technical support to strengthen the capacity of health system managers and front-line providers to deliver evidence-based, high-quality maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services in accordance with global quality-of-care standards for antenatal care, intrapartum care and postnatal care, among others. Local partners educate, encourage and empower pregnant people and families to seek care. In Zimbabwe, the Mhuri/Imuli project, funded by USAID, works with a team of experienced professionals, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health and Child Care and the Provincial Medical Directorates to catalyze the expansion of and improve the quality of MNCH and family planning services.
We work to advance the global knowledge base in maternal health by conducting research and participating in global technical working groups, including on the monitoring framework for the Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care in collaboration with the Averting Maternal Death and Disability Project, Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response Systems and emergency referral systems.
