This is the final episode of our mini-series, focusing on the programme Improving Quality of Maternal and Newborn Health in Kenya. This is an FCDO funded programme, the Foreign Commonwealth Development Office, and it is led by the Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine.
In each of the episodes we have been discussing the different ways that the programme has strengthened the capacities of health workers, mainly midwives and nurses, to deliver high quality care, to reduce maternal and newborn morbidity and mortality. In previous episodes, we have heard how data has been used in decision-making through the maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response approach.
We've also heard about pre-service training and teaching and how it has been improved so that nurses and midwives feel more competent and capable of step into their roles on the frontline. In this episode, we're going to be focused on in-service training.
We hear about real life examples where the programme’s revised approaches to mentorship and training have improved outcomes and saved lives, including an example from Dr. Shaban, who joined us straight out of theatre!
More about our guests:
Lucy Nyaga (Co-host) - Country Director, Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine, Kenya
Lucy is the Country Director, Liverpool School of Tropical medicine, in Kenya. She has a background in Medical Anthropology and Public Health with extensive experience in promoting implementation of research results into policy and practice with a special focus on maternal and neonatal health (MNH). With twenty years’ experience working in health programming, her experience and expertise in MNH has involved managing and implementing programmes that incorporate implementation research to inform effective programming and policy influence. Working with a range of organisations ranging from governments, academic and research institutions, UN agencies, and national & INGO, Lucy has led and contributed to key MNH research that has then led to policy influence in Eastern Africa.
Veronica Musiega - Advanced practice nurse (midwifery speciality), Vihiga County, Department of Health Services
Veronica is the County reproductive health coordinator for Vihiga county. She is a national trainer in EmONC as well as EmONC mentor. She facilitates training, mentorship, support supervision and co-ordination of EmONC activities in the county and at National level.
Veronica has trained MPDSR at National level and within Vihiga county and has planned, initiated and coordinated MPDSR activities at County, Subcounty, Facility and community level. Under her co-ordination, various fora and networks have been developed at sub county and county level to manage EmONC emergencies and address gaps in provision of EmONC services.
Veronica heads a team that performs county supportive supervision in EmONC, providing technical assistance and addressing gaps in service delivery; as well as developing work plans to improve on reproductive health.
She is the secretary to the county MPDSR committee and has led the team to compile Biannual MPDSR report which is disseminated at county level and contributes to the national MPDSR reports. In addition, Veronica has spearheaded the implementation of the MPDSR committee actions.
Sylvia Kimtai - Subcounty Reproductive Health Coordinator, Kapseret Subcounty, Department of Health Services, County Government of Uasin Gishu
Sylvia is a midwife, a national EmONC trainer and mentor, who has working in maternal and newborn health since 2008 to date. Currently, she coordinates reproductive health services in Kapseret subcounty.
She has facilitated over fifty EmONC and MPDSR training sessions in various parts of Kenya. She mentors a team of mentors across maternity units in the county who also mentor their colleagues with the health facilities. She manages a WhatsApp forum/platform where EmONC mentors within Uasin Gishu county actively interact, share best practices and address challenges faced.
Sylvia provides technical support to other EmONC mentors both virtually and through onsite support supervisory visits to their health facilities. She also conducts support supervision in health facilities on maternal and newborn care including conducting periodic EmONC functionality assessments on performance of EmONC signal functions to address gaps in availability of services.
She is the Secretary to Sub county MPDSR committee and also member of the facility MPDSR Committees.
Sylvia is the custodian of EmONC training equipment in her county and ensures mentors access the equipment during mentorship.
Dr. Nassir Shaban - Resident Obstetrician Gyanaecologist, Msambweni County referral hospital, Kwale County.
Dr. Nassir was trained by LSTM eight years ago and since then has been collaborating with LSTM on various capacity strengthening projects focusing at improving Maternal and Neonatal Health. He has facilitated training of midwives, medical officers and consultants OBGY on Emergency Obstetrics and Neonatal Care (EmONC) ; as well as Advanced comprehensive obstetric surgical and anaesthesia skills.
Dr. Nassir’s biggest dream is to significantly contribute to reduction of maternal mortality and improve neonatal outcomes in his resource-constricted health institutions, something he works very hard to achieve through training and capacity strengthening amongst his colleagues and team players in health.
On matters of research, Dr. Nassir has a special interest. He has worked with LSTM towards publishing a couple of research papers on Maternal and Neonatal Health, latest one which will be featured in the upcoming Health Conference in South Africa in April 2023.
At the National level, Dr. Nassir has been involved in the revision of National EmONC training curriculum, development of EmONC mentorship package as well as development of the "Continuum of Care" package in collaboration with the Ministry of Health.
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