This toolkit was developed to provide detailed information and resources to support implementation of the WHO intrapartum and immediate postnatal care recommendations at the health-care facility level. The careful design of this toolkit is based on a rigorous evidence-based approach that includes implementation strategies of proven effectiveness to help close the gap between WHO’s care recommendations and current policies and practices. The primary target audience for the toolkit includes policy-makers, health-care facility managers, implementers and managers of maternal and child health programmes, nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) and professional societies involved in the planning and management of maternal and child health services

This manual and its Excel tool are under revision. The revised edition will be published soon.

Este manual y la herramienta de Excel que lo acompaña se encuentran en proceso de revisión. La edición revisada se publicará próximamente.

Introduction: Globally, over two million women live with obstetric fistula with the majority of the cases being from Africa. In low-resource settings such as Zambia, obstetric fistula (OF) is a visible indicator of gaps in maternal health care resulting in failure to provide adequate, accessible and quality maternal health care, including family planning, skilled birth attendance, basic and emergency obstetric and neonatal care, and affordable treatment of fistula. OF is preventable and treatable, and no woman in Zambia should continue to endure the condition. It is therefore necessary that Zambia intensifies national scale up of OF management centers including community based interventions, train more surgeons and other health workers to provide quality and affordable care closer to the women who are silently suffering from obstetric fistula

Card: Breastfeeding is easier when your workplace provides support

The link between cholera in pregnancy and negative childbirth outcomes has been observed since the 19th century, but there is currently no clear understanding of the extent nor the mechanisms to inform treatment guidelines. The recommendations in this Interim Technical Note are based on current knowledge, including documented experiences of treating pregnant women with cholera during epidemics

Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women worldwide in 2018, with 570,000 new cases and 311,000 deaths occurring annually.T he highest incidence rates are in Southern Africa, Eastern Africa, SubSaharan Africa, Western Africa, Melanesia, and Middle Africa . It also ranks as the leading cause of cancer-related death in most African countries. More than 85% of these deaths occur in low- and middle-income countries . In addition, women living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) are six times as likely to have cervical cance

Lack of trained providers capable of identifying which labouring women could benefit from assisted vaginal birth (AVB), and of safely performing the procedure is a major barrier for its use. Education and training are, therefore, considered crucial for building skills and confidence in conducting AVB and there is evidence that it would be welcomed by healthcare providers. However, acquiring and maintaining AVB skills is a complex task that requires a supportive environment, mentorship, supervision and accountability. As with other practices to manage infrequent procedures and complications, continuous education and on-site supervision are essential to ensure the safe and sustainable use of AVB

The KMC implementation strategy targets a broad audience. These include policy-makers and programme managers at national, regional and local levels, government and nongovernmental organizations working in the area of maternal and newborn care, global and national professional associations, public and private hospital management at all levels of care, and facility- and community-based maternal and infant care providers

This document puts forward the joint position and vision of an expert, global, multistakeholder working group on implementing Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) for all preterm or low birth weight (LBW) infants as the foundation for small and/or sick newborn care within maternal, newborn, and child health programmes, and spur collaborative global action. The document summarizes the background information, evidence, and rationale for making KMC available to every preterm or LBW newborn and seeks to galvanize the international maternal, newborn, and child health community and families to come together to support the implementation of KMC for all preterm or LBW infants to improve their and their mothers and families health and well-being. This position paper is intended to be used by policy-makers (i.e. those responsible for national policy, guideline development and budget allocation), development partners, programme managers, health workforce leadership, practising clinicians, civil society leadership (e.g. parent and professional organizations) and researchers/research organizations involved in KMC implementation research