Background
Maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality have been recognised internationally as public health priorities. More than 15 years since the launch of the Safe Motherhood Initiative (SMI), efforts invested in maternal and newborn health programmes have not yielded the expected results. This is due to a combination of structural and infrastructural challenges that need redress to reverse the situation.
At the household and community levels, awareness of maternal danger signs, and of the need to act quickly, is low due to inadequate knowledge and information. As a result there is limited participation of community members, family and individuals in prenatal, postnatal and family planning services. This is aggravated further by reluctant male partners and harmful socio-cultural practices. In addition, there is unreliable or unaffordable transport to local health facilities and referral centres. There is therefore the need for the citizens to understand policy directives that the government has put in place to ensure community members are adequately informed and prepared to demand for MNCH services.
All women should have a skilled attendant at birth but in reality more than half (53%) of women deliver at home. This is an increase by 2% in last five years an indication that the country is moving from bad to worse. Loss of public confidence in local public health facilities and health care providers has negatively affected the uptake of maternal, new born and child health services including PMTCT services.
The need for policy makers to address training, recruitment, distribution and retention of health service providers is urgent if at all the country is to address negative maternal health indicators. There have been calls to the government to address training, recruitment and retention of health care providers. Indeed the government took steps and spearheaded the development of Human Resource for Health Strategy. Since the development of the strategy it is not clear whether the document was adopted by the government for implementation, and if so what steps are ongoing on its implementation.
The amount of budget allocated into the health sector has not been sufficient for meeting the felt need in the health sector. The national budget allocation to health is 8% of the total budget which far much below the 15% in the Abuja Declaration. As a result, many health facilities are poorly maintained, they lack sufficient supply of essential commodities and medicines such as the Emergency Obstetric Care medicines are not available in all ANC health facilities incapacitating their response to direct obstetric complications leading to high maternal deaths that can be prevented. The user fees though fairly subsidised for MNCH services is also bottleneck to utilisation of the services. They deter poor clients from using the health facilities.
It is therefore prudent to interrogate how allocation for the health budget sector is conducted, and how the Ministries of Health allocates the available resources including the decentralized health funds such as Health Sector Services Fund (HSSF) to support MNCH programmes.
Objective
To discuss advocacy gaps in MNCH policies and programmes including the role of policy makers and stakeholders in addressing the identified gaps and challenges.
Specifically the meeting will focus on:
· The inter-face between the community level and health facilities for improved demand and supply of MNCH services,
· Training, recruitment and retention of health care providers for quality MNCH service provision at health facilities and,
· The 2011/2012 budget estimates earmarked for MNCH programmes.
Draft Programme
Time | Activity | Responsibility |
7:00 –7:30 am | Arrival, Registration | |
7:30 – 7:45 am | · Official welcome · Introductions · Objectives of the meeting | HERAF& KANCO |
7:45-8:15am | MNCH Situation of programmes: · Critical policy and programme gaps negatively affecting demand and supply of MNCH services in Kenya | NCPD |
8:15-8:45am | MNCH Policy and programmes gaps hampering: · Demand & Supply of MNCH services, · HRS Strategic plan · 2011/2012 Budget estimates allocations for MNCH services | MOPHS |
8:45-9:45am | Plenary discussions and the way forward | HERAF& KANCO |
9:45-10:00am | Closure of the meeting Vote of thanks | HERAF& KANCO |
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