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Reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health

Making motherhood and childhood safer

Our mission is to safeguard the health of mothers, newborns, children, adolescents and women of reproductive age by shaping and implementing evidence- based policies and interventions that increase the availability and access to care and reduce preventable deaths in children and women.

Who we are

The World Health Organization (WHO) country office supports the Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) programme to improve health care availability and access for mothers, newborns, children, adolescents and women of child-bearing age, and implement evidence-based interventions that reduce deaths in these populations. 

The WHO country office supports the RMNCAH programme technically, strategically and operationally in order to reduce high maternal and child deaths.

What we do

In collaboration with health authorities, we work to improve reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health in the country, primarily through the following actions:

Develop policies and standards of care

We provide evidence to inform and support the development of national policies strategies, plans and service standards and guidelines on reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health based on the best scientific data that ensure better RMNCAH care with the goal of reducing preventable deaths and saving lives of women and children.

Train health care workers and skilled birth attendants

We develop and implement strategies and plans to train, retain and engage health care workers, including skilled birth attendants, in reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health to ensure they are competent to implement RMNCAH interventions.

Work with partners

We engage with relevant United Nations agencies, and national and international partners to harmonize efforts to strengthen and enable health systems to address inequalities and ensure that all women and children have access to respectful and high-quality reproductive, maternity, child and adolescent health care.

Improve family and community health practices

We support the adoption of important family and community practices related to reproductive, maternal and child health and development to improve child survival, growth and development by reducing mortality and morbidity in women.

Support impact measurement, knowledge generation and response

We provide technical support to generate evidence and new knowledge, and measure the coverage and impact of interventions, and encourage accountability and reforms for safer care.

Our impact

Working with the Somali Ministry of Health and partners

  • Maternal mortality ratio reduced by 31% overall in less than 20 years from 1210 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2000 to 829 deaths per 100 000 live births in 2017
  • Under-5 mortality rate reduced by 27% overall in less than 20 years from 171.1 deaths per 1000 live births in 2000 to 117 deaths per 1000 live births in 2019
  • Number of deliveries by skilled birth attendants increased from 22% in 2010 to an estimated 29% in 2017

What we have achieved

Since Member States adopted WHO’s Thirteenth General Programme of Work (GPW 13) and the launch of the Regional Vision 2023 – health for all by all, we have:

Provided policy-level support to:

  • Develop the first 5-year plan – Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Strategy for Somalia 2020–2024 – to ensure the coordinated efforts of partners working to support reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health in Somalia.
  • Produce the national guideline – The Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI), 2019.
  • Integrate guidelines on managing possible serious bacterial infection in young infants when referral is not feasible in IMNCI 2019.
  • Develop a curriculum for a basic diploma for midwives based on the assessment of nursing institutions in the country.
  • Adapt and adopt the WHO family planning guidelines to the Somali context.

Improved the capacity of health workers and health facilities on:

  • IMNCI
  • modern methods of birth spacing
  • emergency obstetric care and neonatal care
  • nursing and midwifery programmes to ensure availability and distribution of skilled birth attendants.
  • Built institutional capacity for IMNCI by creating a national team of trainers for IMNCI and setting up a unit for IMNCI at the Federal Ministry of Health.

What is next

The WHO country office will continue to work with the Ministry of Health and other partners on the following activities during 2021–2023:

  • Roll out the Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health Strategy that offers a continuum of care using high-impact interventions that will improve home care practices and health care services.
  • Integrate the RMNCAH services into the primary, secondary and tertiary health care levels within the universal health coverage roadmap.
  • Intensify efforts to reduce neonatal and under-5 mortality and morbidity through implementation of IMNCI Guidelines and the “every newborn action plan”.
  • Expand community-level care for reproductive, maternal, neonatal, child and adolescent health by training female health workers and auxiliary midwives in line with the strategic plan for delivery of the Essential Package of Health Services.
  • Develop the capacity of doctors, nurses, midwives and community health workers to deliver safer health care for pregnant women, women of reproductive age, newborns, children and adolescents.
  • Continue to advocate and engage with policy-makers to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health with a focus on initiatives such as reducing female genital mutilation and child marriage.

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