Strengthening the Health Outcomes of Women and Child - COVID-19 Response

This project contributes to reducing maternal and child mortality amongst vulnerable women and children including adolescent girls in targeted underserved remote areas of Bangladesh Ghana Haiti Nigeria and Senegal. The project works in these five countries to improve the quality availability and utilization of essential maternal newborn and child health (MNCH) services and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) services. The project also works to strengthen the Canadian public’s understanding of the reasons behind Canada’s global investments in MNCH and SRH. Project activities include: (1) raising awareness of local leaders role models and various community groups on ongoing MNCH services and positive healthcare practices including health care-seeking behaviours; (2) training health care providers at community and health facility levels on key MNCH interventions; (3) providing essential medicines and other medical supplies; (4) training health administrators and local health committees on planning supervision and oversight of health resources and facilities; (5) training health workers and drivers in referring patients requiring more advanced care at specialized facilities and providing health facilities with mobile technology and vehicles to facilitate emergency transportation; and (6) training and mentoring health care staff on improved data collection and reporting to inform local government on health resources and services planning. COVID-19 response activities were also undertaken in four countries (Bangladesh Ghana Nigeria and Senegal) that include: (1) developing and disseminating gender-integrated messaging related to COVID-19 including on hygiene infection prevention social distancing mental health and MNCH or SRH (including Sexual and Gender-Based Violence prevention); (2) developing and increasing awareness towards unpaid care work issues including equitable distribution of household roles responsibilities and resources and women’s a

The expected outcomes for this project include: (1) improved utilization of essential health services by mothers pregnant women adolescent girls newborns and children under five years of age; (2) improved delivery of quality health services to mothers pregnant women adolescent girls newborns and children under five years of age; (3) increased dissemination and use of MNCH data; and (4) increased endorsement by the Canadian public of Canadian global funding addressing MNCH issues. For the project’s COVID-19 activities: (1) increased demand for COVID-19 related messages and prevention measures and ongoing demand for MNCH or SRHR services in addition to the burden faced by women and girls in terms of unpaid care work; (2) strengthened health system for COVID-19 response within broader national plans and continuity of MNCH or SRH services during the pandemic and post-pandemic periods; (3) enhanced community and government access to reliable timely and effective use of data in response to COVID19; and (4) continued public engagement to inform Canadians on the COVID-19 response in developing countries and better understand that the response must be global.