UNFPA MHTF 2019-2024

UNFPA/ Maternal Health Thematic Fund has had a strong focus on promoting equity in access, universal health coverage and improving accountablity and quality of care. MHTF has supported 32 high-priority countries to ensure an integration of SRHR in national Health Systems.The MHTF supported 32 countries with some of the highest rates of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity across five regions (the Arab States, Asia and the Pacific, East and Southern Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean, and West and Central Africa. (From the annual report 2023 and UNFPA/MHTF Input to Sidas Multilateral Support 2023 MHTF HIGHLIGHTS IN SELECT COUNTRIES 2023) 2.8 million pregnant women have received safer delivery care, 180 000 midwives were trained (pre-service and in-service) and 53 midwifery schools were accredited to provide higher standard of education. The report also reflects that MHTF is an important resource for global priority setting, advocacy, research and knowledge management, to improve maternal and newborn health. It plays a convening and coordinating role for global efforts internally at UNFPA and externally. The activities of the MHTF are diverse and the report shows that the MHTF develops, uses and shares new and innovative approaches, technology and actively engages with different partners, in the public, academic and private sector. The MHTF has worked to ensure alignment on UN system technical support on maternal and newborn health national action plans in countries and to shape global targets for a coherent and harmonized approach to tracking progress on MNH. UNFPA developed what is now a global target to secure that more than half of population has access to emergency obstetric care within 2 hours of travel, which the UN agencies are now jointly tracking together. 950 policymakers, health managers, and healthcare providers from 13 countries to improve maternal and perinatal death surveillance and response committees, in country and through South to South learning (two regional trainings and dedicated study tour on confidential enquiry into maternal deaths by Zambia MoH delegation to South Africa). This collaboration has improved maternal and newborn death reviews and surveillance and strengthened responses to maternal deaths through the development of context-specific action plans and interventions to address the underlying causes of death 96 EmONC facilities received post-abortion care training in Kenya and in the DRC, the MHTF has enhanced three midwifery schools' capabilities in comprehensive healthcare by upgrading the skills of educators. In DRC the Panzi Hospital has been supported in implementing a holistic birth model, providing 60 women who experienced gender-based violence with tailored medical, psychosocial, and socio-economic support. The network of Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care facilities enabling 138,760 safe deliveries by qualified health workers, based on developed tools developed by UNFPA as a global public good. DRC has also been supported to enact a law defining the legal status of midwives in the public health sector formalising the role of midwives for the first time in the country.

MHTF is a thematic fund aiming at improving maternal and newborn health and well being in countries with high burden of maternal and newborn mortality and morbidity by strengthening of national health systems.  The vision of the third phase of the fund is to support countries to ensuring the health, survival, and rights of every woman, adolescent girl and newborn, by supporting countries to strengthen their health systems for providing equitable and accountable access to quality sexual and reproductive and newborn health care. The fund is set up to provide strategic directions and technical assistance for the development, implementation and monitoring of maternal and newborn health interventions. The fund focuses on four key intervention areas: midwifery, comprehensive SRH in Emergency Obstetric and Newborn care (EmONC) facilities, obstetric fistula and other obstetric morbidities and Maternal (and Perinatal) Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR). MHTF, will contribute to UNFPA's Strategic Plan 2018-2021, in particular on: outcome 1: "Every woman, adolescent and youth everywhere, especially those furthest behind, has utilized integrated sexual and reproductive health services and exercised reproductive rights, free of coercion, discrimination and violence" and outcome 2: "Every adolescent and youth, in particular adolescent girls, is empowered to have access to sexual and reproductive health and reproductive rights, in all contexts". Through the following programme specific outcomes; Outcome 1 midwifery: Every woman and adolescent girl can access right based quality sexual and reproductive health information and services delivered by midwives and that are women centered, equitable and accountable. The objective of phase III is to further accelerate the delivery of quality midwifery care. Phase III will also support midwives to address the needs of SRHR of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged women and adolescent girls. Outcome 2 emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC): Every woman, adolescent girl and newborn in need of emergency obstetric and newborn care can access a referral maternity facility, staffed with skilled attendants at birth and monitored to deliver quality essential sexual and reproductive healthcare, including EmONC. In phase III there will be emphasis on implementing monitoring and quality improvement process for EmONC and SRH more broadly. Outcome 3 maternal (and perinatal) death surveillance and response (MPDSR): Causes of maternal and perinatal deaths are identified and addressed through MPDSR programmes. The objective of phase III are to improve notification of maternal deaths, increase the number and quality of maternal death reviews, and implement multisectoral responses to address root causes of maternal and perinatal deaths.  Outcome 4 obstetric fistula and other obstetric morbidities: Every woman and adolescent girl can access quality sexual and reproductive health information and services to prevent and, if needed, to treat them from obstetric fistula and other obstetric morbidities. In phase III, MHTF will further strengthening national programmes for ending fistula and other obstetric morbidities. According to UNFPA, WASH is an integral part of quality and availability of services and care for women and girls. It is addressed through the program from different angels through quality assurance work, policies, implementation plans and in facilities. It is also addressed in training programs. However, UNFPA's role is generally to alert UNICEF if the water is not available in the maternity facility that falls under UNFPA support.