A major aspect of the Afya Bora Consortium Fellowship in Global Health is to build capacity in African health care leadership, specifically with doctors and nurses. We are to attach to a site in our chosen country and apply the leadership skills we are leaning. I have connected with Amref Health Africa an NGO. Headquarters in Nairobi. http://amref.org.
I am at the Tanzania office where Amref has a very large and impactful presence related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and counseling; Gender based issues including violence towards women and girls: and youth sexual awareness. I am working with the Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health Unit (RMNCH). After a several meetings, a lot of clarification, and a couple o misunderstandings and mishaps I have finally settled on a project. I am proposing to pilot the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) tool in 5 health facilities http://www.who.int/patientsafety/implementation/checklists/childbirth/en/.
The tool is in pilot phase by the WHO and they are looking for organizations to implement and then give feedback in a qualitative manner. The SCC lists 29 evidenced based practices that should be instituted when taking care of a labor and postpartum woman to decrease high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. I put together a proposal and now am waiting for IRB (Research Ethics) approval which I should have an answer in a couple of weeks. As part of this project I also get to work with the WHO representatives here in Tanzania that will serve as a resource for me. I am very excited. The pilot will take place in a more remote region that is a few hours by vehicle from Mwanza called the Shinyanga region. I have already been there for my first visit. There you have it! The beginnings of many things to come.
This process has been a huge learning curve for me so far culturally, professionally personally. One of the biggest things that I have taken away from my experiences thus far is to never make an assumption. Clarify, clarify, clarify. Until next time...
I am at the Tanzania office where Amref has a very large and impactful presence related to reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health; HIV/AIDS prevention, testing, and counseling; Gender based issues including violence towards women and girls: and youth sexual awareness. I am working with the Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health Unit (RMNCH). After a several meetings, a lot of clarification, and a couple o misunderstandings and mishaps I have finally settled on a project. I am proposing to pilot the World Health Organization Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC) tool in 5 health facilities http://www.who.int/patientsafety/implementation/checklists/childbirth/en/.
The tool is in pilot phase by the WHO and they are looking for organizations to implement and then give feedback in a qualitative manner. The SCC lists 29 evidenced based practices that should be instituted when taking care of a labor and postpartum woman to decrease high maternal and neonatal morbidity and mortality. I put together a proposal and now am waiting for IRB (Research Ethics) approval which I should have an answer in a couple of weeks. As part of this project I also get to work with the WHO representatives here in Tanzania that will serve as a resource for me. I am very excited. The pilot will take place in a more remote region that is a few hours by vehicle from Mwanza called the Shinyanga region. I have already been there for my first visit. There you have it! The beginnings of many things to come.
This process has been a huge learning curve for me so far culturally, professionally personally. One of the biggest things that I have taken away from my experiences thus far is to never make an assumption. Clarify, clarify, clarify. Until next time...