Access to health: How to reduce child and maternal mortality?

Systematic reviews show that access to community-based health services reduces neonatal mortality and still births but the effect on maternal mortality is harder to detect. However the evidence so far has come from small sample size studies mainly conducted in Asia and with very little information from Sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America. Only a few studies assess Maternal Neonatal and Child Health (MNCH) services at the community level and focus on interventions at the level of primary care. More large scale research factoring in specific contexts is particularly needed. Additional investigation on the cost-effectiveness of health services is also required and will help in promoting and scaling up community-based interventions for maternal and newborn care.