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Reducing maternal and child mortalities in Nepal depends upon improving both quality and utilisation of maternal health services, in particular ensuring 24-hour delivery services are available. Inputs such as staff training, construction and social mobilisation are essential, but at local level it is increasingly recognised that strengthening Health Facility Management Committees is a critical complementary need. The resulting improved management of facilities, improved community relations and use of local resources to fund additional staff infrastructure enables facilities to maximise the effectiveness of other inputs.
Support to the Safe Motherhood programme (SSMP) has worked with the Government of Nepal to develop and implement a cost-effective approach to build the capacity of HFMCs, using the technique of appreciative inquiry in a simple three-step process to review the past, envision an improved future and identify areas for immediate change. The report of this consultant led process and its initial results can be found in the resources section, under consultant reports.
Ashima Shrestha
SSMP
10/07/2008
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