Recommendations of the AU Member states officials at the AU Workshop on Maternal, Newborn and Child Mortality Reviews

Presented by Dr Hakiba Solange Rwanda on behalf of the AU Delegates

16 April 2008, Johannesburg

A . CROSS CUTTING RECOMMENDATIONS

Preamble :

The Africa Health Strategy 2007-2015, which was endorsed by the Heads of AU States in July 2007, encompasses pre-existing strategies such as Maputo Plan of Action and Child Survival Strategy and others .In Implementing this strategy ,we the delegates of the African Union Member States do make the following recommendations to our Ministers of Health. We believe that these recommendations ,if accepted will help strengthen this " Africa's Movement to improve Maternal Health and Promote Child Survival and Development in Africa beyond 2015.

1. Gender Equality:

We recommend for the constitutional enshrinement of the full rights of women and girls to equal access to political, economic and social status. This will create an enabling environment for the improvement of maternal health and promote child survival and development. It will further accelerate the development of Africa.

2. Policy:

Accelerate development/review of policy on Maternal ,neonatal and child health for the implementation of priority maternal, newborn and child programs. The most cost-effective interventions are well known.

3. Increased and equitable financial access to Maternal Neonatal and Child Heath services:

We recommend the acceleration of internal resource mobilisation through risk pooling social insurance, community health funds etc.) in order to reduce the out-of-pocket payment and enhance sustainable financing for health within the Medium Term Expenditure Framework. We further advocate for urgent internal resource allocation to health in line with the Abuja Declaration.

4. Health system strengthening:

We recommend the implementation of the most cost-effective interventions:

• Development, retention, redeployment and management of skilled human resources (train for need).
• Institutionalisation of mortality reviews (maternal, neonatal and child) for continuous quality improvement
• Improvement of the Health Management and Information System for better operation and decision making.

5. The delegates of the AU Memebr States recommend that Dr M. Tshabalala-Msimang, Honourable Minister of Health of the Republic of South Africa and Chairperson the CAMH3, to be Africa's Champion and Goodwill Ambassador for advocating the implementation of the recommendations of the "Africa's Movement to Improve Maternal Health and Promote Child Survival and Development in Africa, beyond 2015"

SPECIFIC RECOMMENDATIONS

FROM THE MATERNAL GROUP

1. Countries should make Maternal Death a notifiable condition.
2. Member states should promulgate appropriate policy and legal framework to institutionalize maternal death reviews
3. Countries should share training methods, technologies and best practices to facilitate regional harmonisation
4. Enough resources should be allocated for maternal death reviews

From Neonatal Group

1. Strong advocacy for implementation of MNCH framework and bring newborn issues into focus
2. Increase budget allocation for neonatal services
3. Strengthen health information system to include the newborn at all levels in the AU countries
4. Develop capacity at all service delivery levels
5. Strengthen community capacity for newborn care

From Under-five Child group

1. Strengthen mortality review processes
2. Formalise and strengthen Africa's movement for mothers and children
3. Use a generated information to improve child health care

Thank you honuorable Minister