141st APHA Annual Meeting

In This section

286259
Implementing innovative solutions for effective referral for critical maternal and newborn health conditions in Ethiopia

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

Nebreed Fesseha, MD, OBG , The Last Ten Kilometers Project, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Ali Mehryar Karim, PhD , Last 10 Kilometers Project, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Wuleta Betemariam, MA, MPH , The Last Ten Kilometers Project, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Tewabech Gebrekiristos, BSc, MPH , The Last Ten Kilometers Project, JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc., Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
To reduce maternal and newborn mortality rates in the country the government of Ethiopia (GoE) is mobilizing communities to promote skilled delivery; promoting referral linkages between communities and health facilities; providing ambulances; and ensuring basic emergency obstetric and newborn care (BEmONC) in primary health facilities. However, these initiatives may not necessarily lead to effective referrals if they are not well coordinated. As such, the Last Ten Kilometers project is working with the GoE in eight districts to demonstrate innovative solutions for effective referral for critical maternal and newborn health conditions. To facilitate the spread of effective referral solutions across the country the intervention will demonstrate vital functional elements of effective and efficient management of referrals from community to primary or higher health facilities.

In each intervention district an assessment was conducted using facility assessments, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions to understand the local context and available referral resources based on the capacity of the health system and the needs of the population together with key health system and community stakeholders to identify gaps. The findings of the assessment was presented at a workshop with the referral stakeholders of the district (identified during the assessment) as the participants to validate the findings and use that information in the participatory design of innovations to strengthen the referral system involving demand and supply sides. This paper presents the major findings from the assessments and describes the innovative referral solutions that the districts and the local community have committed to actively manage.

Learning Areas:
Administer health education strategies, interventions and programs
Conduct evaluation related to programs, research, and other areas of practice
Program planning
Public health or related research

Learning Objectives:
Describes the components of a functional referral system for developing country settings; describes a participatory process to design and implement innovative solutions to effective referral for critical maternal and newborn conditions; describes the indicators for measuring an effective referral solutions; demonstrates possible post MDG strategy to address maternal and newborn mortality

Keywords: International MCH, Community Health Planning

Presenting author's disclosure statement:

Qualified on the content I am responsible for because: Plan and implement the intervention described in the abstract
Any relevant financial relationships? No

I agree to comply with the American Public Health Association Conflict of Interest and Commercial Support Guidelines, and to disclose to the participants any off-label or experimental uses of a commercial product or service discussed in my presentation.