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Improving emergency obstetric care in Mozambique: The story of Sofala
Author(s) -
Santos C.,
Diante D.,
Baptista A.,
Matediane E.,
Bique C.,
Bailey P.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
international journal of gynecology and obstetrics
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.895
H-Index - 97
eISSN - 1879-3479
pISSN - 0020-7292
DOI - 10.1016/j.ijgo.2006.05.024
Subject(s) - medicine , audit , general partnership , medical emergency , health care , quality management , quality (philosophy) , operations management , management system , economic growth , business , finance , accounting , economics , philosophy , epistemology
Objective : The 5‐year project in the province of Sofala was designed to improve access, quality and utilization of emergency obstetric care (EmOC) by strengthening rural hospitals and health centers and ultimately the health system's capacity to respond to emergencies more quickly and effectively. Methods : Implementation consisted of attention to infrastructure, human resource development, transportation and communication systems, and management. Specific management aspects that were targeted for improvement included: supportive supervision, logistics for supplies, equipment and drugs, record keeping, monitoring and evaluation, and quality improvement techniques such as maternal death audits. Results : Access to EmOC improved with an increase in the number of fully functional EmOC facilities from 4 to 18. The number of women with obstetric complications who were admitted for treatment in participating facilities tripled, and the proportion of those women dying declined by half. Conclusions : Close collaboration and partnership with the provincial health directorate make the sustainability of many results likely while the replication of much of the Sofala model to other provinces is promising for the national strategy to reduce maternal mortality.