Project title:
FIGO LDI: REACH-Leadership Development Initiative: Removing Barrier to Effective Access and Coverage of Maternal Healthcare
Postpartum Hemorrhage and Pre-term births are considered to be one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality of women and children in low- and middle-income countries such as Ethiopia disproportionately affecting women and families. The effects of a maternal death are felt across the family. In addition to the increasing risk that the fetus/newborn will suffer morbidities and death, there are economic and psychological impacts to the family and communities.
The initiative supported and overseen by FIGO will support leadership development to change health care systems so that maternal morbidity and mortality decrease, and birth outcomes improve. It relies on promoting and developing leaders and leadership within ESOG and the health care system in order to achieve improved maternal health and birth outcomes.
The initiative funded by FIGO works in improving the leadership skills in enhancing and elevating evidence based clinical practices within the maternal and newborn health service. The initiative which will last for three years from November 2022-October 2025 with a budget allocation of USD 380 000.00 focuses on identifying implementation gaps among the priority clinical practices and address by intervening through better guideline and protocol adoption and strong and sustained leadership in the area.
ESOG primarily works with FIGO and five others selected FIGO focus members in this initiative through a collaborative and experience sharing platform. FIGO with its rich and boundless experience in women and newborn health assists ESOG in implementing the initiative successfully. Additionally, ESOG partners with multiple other entities such as the MOH, UN agencies, professional associations, CSOs, NGOs etc working in women health. Gender is also at the mainstay of the initiative of leadership transformation for a better clinical practice.
As indicated above the utilization of Tranexamic Acid for PPH/EMOTIVE implementation and Antenatal Corticosteroid for Pre-term Birth is the initiative’s major thematic area for improvement and up scaling. Capitalizing on leadership skills among ESOG and the health system at all level to bring about changes and improvement from policy adoption to facility utilization of the clinical practices is the initiative’s major goal. By identifying the major systemic and technical barriers and addressing them accordingly, the initiative aims at bringing significant changes in the utilization of these clinical practices which in turn will result in reduced maternal and new born morbidity and mortality
Project nature/approach:
The initiative supported and overseen by FIGO will support leadership development to change health care systems so that maternal morbidity and mortality decrease, and birth outcomes improve. It relies on promoting and developing leaders and leadership within ESOG and the health care system in order to achieve improved maternal health and birth outcomes. It is an implementational research/quality improvement project aimed at assessing the existing practice of TXA/EMOTIVE implementation for PPH and antenatal corticosteroid utilization for preterm birth/RDS and address the gaps and challenges from policy advocation to better access and utilization of the treatment at facility level
Duration of the project:
The project duration is for three years from 1st November 2022-31st October 2025
Project area/project sites (implementational research sites):
Addis Ababa City Administration: St Paul Hospital, Marie Stopes International-Gotera MCH Center
Central Region: Welkite University Comprehensive Hospital
Sidama Region: Adare General Hospital
Objectives and results framework of the project:
Overall Project Goal: Improving maternal and newborn health outcomes
Primary Outcome 1: Enhanced leadership of Member Societies/ESOG and FIGO
Intermediate Outcome 1.1: Enhanced leadership skills including, but not limited to, the areas of organizational management (financial, grants), advocacy, gender, youth, accountability, women-centered care
Intermediate Outcome 1.2: Increased numbers of publications and speaking engagements by the Member Society (ESOG)
Intermediate Outcome 1.3: Contribute to policy change through increased evidence-based advocacy
Intermediate Outcome 1.4: Enhanced communication and connectedness across FIGO six Indicator/Initiative Societies and other Member societies using a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Platform
Primary Outcome 2: Increased knowledge and adoption of key maternal and newborn interventions in country
Intermediate Outcome 2.1: Barriers identified at country/state level in each of the 6 Indicator Countries for each of the selected clinical priority areas-Ethiopia: Tranexamic Acid utilization for PPH and Neonatal Corticosteroid utilization
Intermediate Outcome 2.5: Increased investment in MNH services
Intermediate Outcome 2.3: Increased adoption of clinical best practice
Intermediate Outcome 2.4: Increased knowledge sharing and learning development network
Intermediate Outcomes 2.2: Pathway to adopt clinical practice updates identified
Beneficiaries of the project: Women and newborn babies, health workforce in the maternal and newborn care area, maternal and newborn health care system
Project cost:
The project total budget is USD 380 000.00
Activities accomplished:
Project inception/sensitization meeting at the national and subnational level at the respective project sites involving high level authorities and down the line, partners and stakeholders in the area of maternal and child health
Tailored Leadership training to ESOG project and Management Staff, Executive Board Members, MOH MCH LEO and QI LEO representatives. LDI:REACH sites responsible and Quality Officers and OBGYN Residency Program Directors
PPH/EMOTIVE care bundle and PTB/ACS administration Clinical Skill Improvement Training to health care providers at the four project sites and catchment facilities
PPH/EMOTIVE and PTB/ACS clinical data collection compilation and analysis for evidence based quality improvement implementational research purpose
PPH/EMOTIVE and PTB/ACS job aids and policy brief development and printing
Gender LDI Voices and Leadership Empowerment Series activities led by FIGO
LDI:REACH global inter country connectivity forum among the six project countries to exchange learnings and good practices
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Project title:
Advocacy and institutionalizing activities to protect the quality of family planning and comprehensive abortion care services in Ethiopia.
Objective: to advocate for and institutionalizing activities to protect the quality of family planning and comprehensive abortion care services (SRHR), strengthening and improving the quality of reproductive health, i.e. family planning & abortion, through implementing evidence-based quality improvement, anti-stigma and advocacy interventions and to enhance existing and new advocacy work targeting emerging and re-emerging hurdles on primary health care unit.
The project budget :450,000 USD
Funder: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Project period: August 1, 2023–July 31, 2025.
Project Site – at National level (MOH) and two Regions: -Oromia and Amhara,
Oromia Region: – Three Zones/ Arsi, West Shewa and West Hararege
Amhara Region: -Two Zones /North Shewa and North Wollo
Totally the project is implemented in 12 hospitals and 100 health centers.
Major activities accomplished:-
- The project provided comprehensive family planning training in collaboration with Oromia regional health bureau and 30 health care professionals from Arsi zone project health facilities.
- The project provided PPFP training in collaboration with FMOH for health care professionals from Arsi zone and West Hararege project health facilities.
- The project provided FP integration with other SRH service training in collaboration with the West Shawa Zone health office and 35 health providers attended the training.
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Project title:
Self-care trailblazer group Ethiopia project
Objective: To established and support National Self-Care Network /NSN/, which are established to coordinate self-care advocacy at the national level to transform healthcare systems and place autonomy, power, and control in the hands of individuals.
The project budget: 450, 000 USD
Funder: PSI
Project period: March 1, 2023–March 31, 2027
Project Site: –National
Major activities accomplished:
- ESOG in collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH), launched the project
- The MoH has officially established National Self-Care Network (NSN) for leading a consultative process to define a coordinated advocacy strategy for self-care.
- The NSN members conducted a quarterly meeting to discuss and exchange information about the activities of self-care in the country. This platform is created by MOH and ESOG.
- Conducted self-care advocacy workshop for national and international CSOs that work on reproductive health and women’s associations’ communication officers attended the meeting.
- Conducted self-care communication material development review workshop.
- Conducted self-care planning workshop and consultative meeting. The NSN members, MoH, and SCTG attended, developed the Ethiopian SC plan, and revised the Ethiopian SC country monitoring dashboard with a global indicator.
- Organized a guideline endorsement workshop and presented the final self-care guideline.
- Approved and disseminated the National RMNCH-N self-care guideline.
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Project title:
Business and Revenue Planning Project
Objective: To establish and institutionalize a capacity building structure that will be tasked to oversee ESOG’s business (financial) sustainability plan.
Project budget: 62,500 USD
Funder: The David and Lucile Packard Foundation
Project Period: August 1, 2023 to July 31, 2025
Project Site: –ESOG
Major activities accomplished:
- Fund raising and strategic plan development training was taken by ESOG staff.
- Communication with Non-Profit Builder on consultancy service for business and revenue planning.
- Decision made to engage local consultants for cost and context reason.
- Request for proposals is prepared to be posted on newspaper.
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Project title:
The use of affordable, non-invasive technology to determine the risk of CPD across duration of pregnancy in Ethiopia: Nationwide study
Objectives:
General objective , To perform a nationwide study to validate whether these two CPD risk assessment tools (i) a 3D Structure camera-, and (ii) tape measurement- based anthropometry can accurately predict CPD based on measurements made from 12- weeks to 42-weeks of gestation, in different regions in Ethiopia.
Specific objectives
Perform a blinded, prospective observational study to develop and validate the predictive capability of 3D camera- and tape measure-based anthropometry CPD risk scores across 6 geographic regions in Ethiopia.
Perform inter- and intra-user variability, usability, and participant acceptability studies to quantify and improve the accuracy, precision, usability, and participant acceptability of the 3D camera and tape measurement-based tools.
Project period: April 2021- March 2026
Project sites: Addis Abeba at Tikur Anbessa Specialized hoapital and Girar Health center
Harari region at Hiwot Fana referral hospital and Arategna health center
Funded by: support for this project is from Georgia institute of Technology and the US National Institute of Health (NIH)
Activities accomplished so far
– Data quality checking
– Currently 2,197 (70%) of study subjects are recruited.
– personnel Recruitment and timely financial management
– Facility preparation and availing material and supplies
– Coordinating facility visits and mgt of activities/ regular financial and technical reports to funding agency/
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Project title:
The use of low cost, non-invasive technology to determine the risk of preeclampsia at 12-24 weeks of pregnancy in Ethiopia.
Objectives:
General Objective : To perform a prospective observational study to assess risk of pre-eclampsia based on hemodynamics measures and circulation biomarkers at 12-24 weeks and validate two low-cost tools diagnostic tools to assess pre-eclampsia risk. The specific objectives are to:
Specific objectives
- Quantify changes in maternal blood flow and blood pressure waveforms (hemodynamics) across the major vessels of the maternal vasculature from 12-40 weeks of gestation, using ultrasound, echocardiography, applanation tonometry and fluid mechanics computational modeling and to assess risk of preeclampsia based on blood pressure waveform measurements at 12-24 weeks.
- Quantify changes in circulating blood plasma biomarkers of preeclampsia from 12-40 weeks of gestation and develop to assess risk of preeclampsia at 12-24 weeks based on blood plasma markers alone, or in parallel with hemodynamic measures.
- Validate a novel low-cost blood pressure pulse wave tonometry device, based on photoplethysmogram (PPG), which is currently used in pulse oxygimeter devices.
Project period: July 2022- July 2025
Project sites: Addis Abeba at Teklehaymanot and Girar Health center
Funded by: support for this project is from Georgia institute of Technology and the US National Institute of Health (NIH)
Activities accomplished so far
– Data quality checking
– Sample size: 400 subjects /Currently 290 study subjects enrolled/
we are collecting maternal characteristics, echocardiography, Doppler ultrasound, flow-mediated dilation, applanation tonometry, blood samples for seven potential biomarkers
– personnel Recruitment and timely financial management
– Facility preparation and availing material and supplies
– Coordinating facility visits and mgt of activities/ regular financial and technical reports to funding agency
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Project title:
Strengthening the capacity and improving quality of Reproductive Health and reducing stigma on safe abortion care providers’ project:
Objective:
Meri Leadership and Mentorship Program:
Objective:To empower women and cultivate future women leaders
Project period: January 1, 2019- December 31, 2022
Funded by: Federal Minsitry of Health
Activities accomplished so far:
– Announcment of bid to select leadership firm, Earuyan Solutions and Trading PLC is selected
– Partnered with Earuyan Solutions Consultancy and Training PLC for the design, organization and hosting of the Meri leadership and mentorshipprogram for young underserved women in Ethiopia
– Program launch event conducted
– Leadership trainings are conducted in 12 sessions