Measures of strength for maternal health programs in 55 developing countries: the MNPI study

Area of Science:

• Global Health
• Public Health Policy
• Health Systems Research

Background:

• National maternal and neonatal health programs are crucial for improving health outcomes.
• Previous studies have assessed program effort, highlighting areas for improvement.

Purpose of the Study:

• To measure the levels and types of effort in national maternal and neonatal health programs.
• To compare 2002 findings with a 1999 study in 55 developing countries.

Main Methods:

• Utilized questionnaires covering 13 components of program effort.
• Collected data from 10-25 expert respondents in each of the 55 participating countries.

Main Results:

• International average program effort was 58-60%, with component averages ranging from 48% to 72%.
• High scores were observed for policies, while access, resources, training, and public education received low scores.
• Significant disparities in service access were noted, particularly affecting rural populations.

Conclusions:

• National maternal health programs remain unsatisfactory, with negligible improvement between 1999 and 2002.
• Efforts are insufficient across multiple program features, especially concerning access to basic services.
• Regional differences in service access are more pronounced than in other program aspects.