The Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva, the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Pan American Health Organization hosted a webinar to explore regional approaches for integrating Near Miss into Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) systems.

This webinar brought together experts and professionals from Latin American, Caribbean, and European regions who will present the latest tools, guidance and recommendations developed to facilitate the integration of near miss and MPDSR. A case study from Colombia offered valuable insights into the practical implementation and provide an opportunity to discuss challenges and opportunities for this integration.

Welcome and introduction: Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

Part 1: Near Miss Tools and Guidance in the European Region: Oleg Kuzmenko, WHO Regional Office for Europe

Part 2: Recommendations for establishing a National Surveillance System for Extremely Severe Maternal Morbidity in Latin America and the Caribbean: Bremen de Mucio, PAHO

Part 3: Sharing insights and lessons learned from the practical implementation of MPDSR system in Colombia: Greace Alejandra Avila Mellizo, National Institute of Health, Colombia

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva, the WHO Regional Office for Europe and the Pan American Health Organization, with the support of the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

This webinar shared experience and lessons learned in implementing the MPD-4-QED program in Nigeria. MPD-4-QED is a harmonized database that collects maternal and perinatal information during pregnancy, labour, childbirth and the postpartum period including on quality of care from 54 referral level hospitals in Nigeria. Representatives from Federal Ministry of Health Nigeria and MPD-4-QED program shared their experience, lessons learned and plans in institutionalizing the program at national level.

This webinar was hosted by the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, the Department of Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research, and the Department of Maternal Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, and Ageing, WHO Geneva.

© UNICEF/UN0261794/van Oorsouw

The Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva and USAID’s MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership launched the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Capacity Building Materials. This package was jointly developed by MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership, WHO, UNFPA and UNICEF and is updated to reflect the latest evidence and guidance on MPDSR.

This webinar shared capacity building plans across different regions to improve MPDSR implementation at the facility level. Speakers shared their experience of developing an MPDSR capacity building programme at country and regional level and the opportunity this provided to address MPDSR implementation gaps. This webinar included discussions on the structure of the capacity building programme and how it was used and monitored to establish MPDSR facilitators at country level.

This webinar was hosted by the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health, with the World Health Organization, Geneva and USAID’s MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership.

© UNICEF/UNI336795/Chikondi

On International Women's Day 2022, March 8, 2022, the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva and the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health hosted a webinar to share Sierra Leone’s experience in addressing preventable maternal and perinatal deaths during pregnancy and childbirth by implementing the MPDSR system.

Speakers shared their experiences, and actions taken in order to have a functioning MPDSR system also serving as a monitoring tool to lower  inequalities. A panel comprised of representatives from Ministry of Health and Sanitation, Sierra Leone discussed the challenges faced, solutions sought and future opportunities for Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) to improve maternal and neonatal health outcomes.

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva and the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

The webinar included a presentation on how to overcome blame culture in the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) process sharing 10 specific strategies on how to practically address this problem during MPDSR implementation. A rich panel comprised of representatives from Ghana, Namibia and Uganda discussed the strategies in light of their experiences, challenges and successes in overcoming blame culture within MPDSR implementation.

Session plan:

Introduction: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

Part 1: Launching the Manuscript 'Overcoming blame culture: key strategies to catalyze maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response': Ms Mary Kinney, Researcher, University of Western Cape, South Africa

Part 2: Panel discussion facilitated by Dr Allison Moran, WHO Geneva

• Ms Gloria Mutimbwa Siseho, Health Specialist, UNICEF Namibia
• Ms Vida Kukula, Midwife/Public Health Practitioner, Ghana
• Dr Robert Mrema, Technical Officer, WHO Uganda

Questions & Answers

Closing remarks: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva and the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

This webinar launched the Knowledge Brief 'Implementation of Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response as part of Quality of Care efforts for Maternal and Newborn Health: Considerations for synergy and alignment'.

The webinar included a presentation on the content of the new Knowledge Brief presenting MPDSR as a key intervention to support the delivery of quality care to strengthen national healthcare systems. The Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria presented their experience in implementing the MPDSR system as part of the quality improvement process and on how integration has been created with the maternal and perinatal death review and response system at national and local level.

Session plan:

Introduction: Ms Francesca Palestra, Technical Officer, Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva

Part 1: Nigeria’s experience in integrating MPDSR and QoC: Dr Samuel Oyeniyi, Federal Ministry of Health, Nigeria

Questions & Answers: Facilitated by Dr Nancy Kidula (WHO AFRO), Dr Muna Abdullah (UNFPA ESARO) and Fatima Gohar (UNICEF ESARO)

Part 2: Introduction and launch of WHO’s Knowledge Brief on Implementation of MPDSR as a strategy to achieve Quality of Care for Maternal and Newborn Health: Considerations for synergy and alignment: Dr Blerta Maliqi, WHO Geneva

Questions & Answers: Facilitated by Dr Nancy Kidula, Dr Muna Abdullah and Fatima Gohar

Closing remarks: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva and the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

This was the second webinar in a series focused on Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR). This webinar had a specific focus on perinatal death reviews. The experience from WHO's PAHO region was shared and this includes the experience and lessons learned by implementers in a panel discussion with Guatemala's MPDSR national committee representatives, the Ministry of Health, Peru and academia from Barbados.

Introduction: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

Part 1: MPDSR with specific focus on perinatal death reviews: Experience and lessons learned from the WHO Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) region

Dr Andres de Francisco, Director of the Department of Family, Health Promotion & Life Course, PAHO

Part 2: Questions & Answers panel discussion:

Facilitated by Dr Pablo Duran, Regional Advisor in Perinatal Health, PAHO

• Dr Gustavo Batres Cerezo, Lic. Mario Tipol, Dr Jennifer Annaite Aguirre Morales and Dr Elizabeth Santiago, MPDSR national committee representatives, Guatemala
• Dr Mario Izquierdo, Deputy Director, General Directorate of Strategic Interventions in Public Health, Ministry of Health, Peru
• Dr Natasha Sobers, Researcher, George Alleyne Chronic Disease Research Centre, Jemmott's Lane, St. Michael, The University of West Indies, Barbados

Closing remarks: Ms Francesca Palestra, WHO Geneva

This webinar was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing, WHO Geneva, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Network for Improving the Quality of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health.

This webinar launched the 'Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response: Materials to support implementation'. It was hosted by the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Ageing (MCA), WHO and by the Network for Improving Quality of Care for Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in collaboration with UNICEF and the Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) Technical Working Group.

The new materials for healthcare professionals, facility managers and policy makers were presented and country experiences were shared on how the new resources can be used to strengthen MPDSR implementation.

• Côte d'Ivoire presented their experience of the pilot testing of the new materials, giving insights on how details on maternal and perinatal deaths were better captured using the new materials and improving MPDSR implementation especially in establishing the review committee and monitoring of suggested recommendations;
• The Ministries of Health from Burkina Faso and Sri Lanka, academia in Zimbabwe, professional associations and further stakeholders shared their plans to use the new materials to strengthen MPDSR implementation.

Session plan:

14h00: The essential need for robust MPDSR systems - Dr Anshu Banerjee, WHO Geneva

14h10: Introductory remarks - Susan Clapham, FCDO, UK

14h15: MPDSR materials to support implementation: What's new? - Dr Allisyn Moran, WHO Geneva

14h25: Côte d'Ivoire's experience in strengthening MPDSR - Dr Didier Eric N'Dri, WHO CO, Côte d'Ivoire

14h45: Questions & Answers - Facilitated by Dr Tedbabe Degefie Hailegebriel, UNICEF

14h55: Country panel - Using the MPDSR Materials to support implementation - Facilitated by Dr Willibald Zeck, UNFPA

Panel:

• Dr Kapila Jayaratne, Ministry of Health, Sri Lanka 
• Dr Moussa Dadjoari, Ministry of Health, Burkina Faso,  
• Professor Stephen Munjanja, University of Zimbabwe, 
• Professor Ank de Jonge, International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) 
• Dr Bremen de Mucio, Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)  
• Dr Kusum Thapa, Jhpiego/ MCGL

15h15: Questions & Answers - Facilitated by Dr Willibald Zeck, UNFPA

15h25: Closing - Dr Tedbabe Degefie Hailegebriel, UNICEF