Maternal and Child Survival : Findings from Five Countries Experience in Addressing Maternal and Child Health Challenges

• Main Authors: Cortez, Rafael, Saadat, Seemeen, Chowdhury, Sadia, Sarker, Intissar
• Format: Publication
• Language: English
• Published: World Bank, Washington, DC 2014
• Subjects: ABORTION; ACCESS TO EDUCATION; ACCESS TO REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH SERVICES; ADOLESCENT REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH; ADOLESCENTS; AGED; BASIC EDUCATION; BEHAVIOR CHANGE; BEHAVIOUR CHANGE; BIRTH ATTENDANTS; BIRTH RATES; CARE FOR CHILDREN; CENSUSES; CHILD HEALTH; CHILD HEALTH SERVICES; CHILD MORTALITY; CHILD SURVIVAL; CHILDBEARING; CHILDBIRTH; CHILDHOOD DISEASES; CLINICS; COMMUNICABLE DISEASES; COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT; COMMUNITY HEALTH; CONTRACEPTION; CONTRACEPTIVE CHOICES; CONTRACEPTIVE PREVALENCE; CONTRACEPTIVE USE; DECISION MAKING; DELIVERY CARE; DELIVERY OF FAMILY PLANNING; DEMAND FOR SERVICES; DEPENDENCY RATIO; DIPHTHERIA; ECONOMIC GROWTH; EDUCATED WOMEN; EDUCATION FOR GIRLS; EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT; EMPOWERING WOMEN; EQUAL OPPORTUNITIES; EQUAL OPPORTUNITY; ESSENTIAL HEALTH SERVICES; ETHNIC GROUPS; FAMILIES; FAMILY PLANNING; FAMILY PLANNING PROGRAM; FAMILY PLANNING SERVICES; FEMALE CIRCUMCISION; FEMALE EDUCATION; FEMALE LITERACY; GENDER INEQUALITY; GENDER PARITY; GENDER PARITY INDEX; GLOBAL HEALTH; GROSS NATIONAL INCOME; HEALTH CARE; HEALTH CARE SERVICES; HEALTH CENTERS; HEALTH EDUCATION; HEALTH FACILITIES; HEALTH FOR ALL; HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE; HEALTH INSURANCE; HEALTH INTERVENTIONS; HEALTH MANAGEMENT; HEALTH OUTCOMES; HEALTH POLICY; HEALTH SECTOR; HEALTH SYSTEM; HEALTH SYSTEMS; HEALTH WORKERS; HEALTHY MOTHER; HEPATITIS B; HIV; HOME VISITS; HOSPITALS; HUMAN DEVELOPMENT; HUMAN RIGHTS; HYGIENE; ILLNESS; ILLNESSES; IMMUNIZATION; IMMUNIZATIONS; INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS; INEQUITIES; INFANT; INFANT HEALTH; INFANT MORTALITY; INFERTILITY; INFLUENZA; INFORMATION SYSTEM; INFORMATION SYSTEMS; INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON POPULATION; INVESTMENTS IN EDUCATION; IRON; LABOR FORCE; LABOR MARKET; LAWS; LEADING CAUSES; LIVE BIRTHS; LOCAL GOVERNMENTS; LOW-INCOME COUNTRIES; MALARIA; MANDATES; MATERNAL DEATH; MATERNAL DEATHS; MATERNAL HEALTH; MATERNAL MORTALITY; MATERNAL MORTALITY DATA; MATERNAL MORTALITY RATIO; MEASLES; MEASLES IMMUNIZATION; MEDICAL STAFF; MIDWIVES; MIGRATION; MILLENNIUM DEVELOPMENT GOALS; MINISTRIES OF HEALTH; MINISTRY OF HEALTH; MOBILE CLINICS; MORBIDITY; MORTALITY; MORTALITY RATE; MOTHER; MOTHER TO CHILD; MOTHER TO CHILD TRANSMISSION; MULTILATERAL ORGANIZATIONS; NATIONAL HEALTH POLICY; NATIONAL PLAN; NATIONAL POPULATION; NATIONAL POPULATION POLICY; NEO-NATAL MORTALITY; NEONATAL MORTALITY; NEWBORN; NEWBORN CARE; NEWBORN HEALTH; NUTRITION; NUTRITIONAL STATUS; NUTRITIONAL STATUS OF WOMEN; PLAN OF ACTION; POLIO; POLIOMYELITIS; POLITICAL CLIMATE; POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT; POPULATION CONCERNS; POPULATION DENSITY; POPULATION GROWTH; POPULATION ISSUES; POST-ABORTION; POST-ABORTION CARE; POSTNATAL CARE; PREGNANCY; PREGNANT WOMEN; PRENATAL CARE; PRIMARY HEALTH CARE; PRIMARY SCHOOLING; PROGRESS; PROMOTING GENDER EQUALITY; PUBLIC HEALTH; PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICES; QUALITY OF CARE; REDUCING MATERNAL MORTALITY; REGIONAL STRATEGIES; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH CARE; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH POLICY; REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROGRAM; RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS; RIGHT TO HEALTH CARE; RURAL AREAS; RURAL POPULATIONS; RURAL WOMEN; SAFE MOTHERHOOD; SCHOOL CHILDREN; SCHOOL HEALTH; SCREENING; SECONDARY ENROLMENT; SERVICE DELIVERY; SERVICE PROVIDERS; SERVICE PROVISION; SERVICES FOR ADOLESCENTS; SERVICES TO WOMEN; SEX; SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED INFECTIONS; SKILLED BIRTH ATTENDANCE; SKILLED BIRTH ATTENDANTS; SMALLER FAMILIES; SOCIAL CHANGE; SOCIAL DEVELOPMENT; SOCIAL NORMS; SOCIAL SECTOR; SOCIAL SERVICES; SOCIOECONOMIC FACTORS; TERTIARY LEVEL; TETANUS; TRADITIONAL PRACTICES; TRANSPORTATION; UNEMPLOYMENT; UNFPA; UNITED NATIONS POPULATION FUND; UNIVERSAL PRIMARY EDUCATION; UNPLANNED PREGNANCIES; URBAN POPULATIONS; USER FEES; VACCINATION; VIOLENCE; VULNERABLE POPULATIONS; WHOOPING COUGH; WOMAN; WOMEN OF CHILDBEARING AGE; WORKERS; WORKING-AGE POPULATION; WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION

Considerable progress has been made towards the achievement of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) since 1990. Although advances in improving MDG 4 and MDG 5a (reducing child and maternal mortality, respectively) have been made, progress is some countries have been insufficient. While some countries have made substantial gains, others have not. This paper is part of a larger study that aims to address this gap in knowledge. The paper discusses the findings from qualitative case studies of five countries that are either on track to meet MDGs 4 and 5a by 2015 or have made significant progress to this end (Bolivia, China, Egypt, Malawi and Nepal). Although they have different socio-economic characteristics, all have made significant advancements due to a strong commitment to improving maternal and child health. To do this, strong political commitment, through policies backed by financial and programmatic support, was critical. In addition, focusing on the most vulnerable populations helped increase access to and use of services. Empowering women and families through education, employment, and poverty reduction programs have led to better health outcomes. These countries still face challenges, however, in terms of the evolving health system, and changes at the economic, social and political levels. Future qualitative and quantitative analyses on the returns of health investments, the political context and institutional arrangements at the country level could help deepen the understanding of the ways in which various countries, with their unique conditions, can improve MCH.