The Journal of Global Health supplement ‘Measuring coverage of essential maternal and newborn care interventions: An unfinished agenda’, published on December 20, 2017, assesses the gaps and quality of available data on newborn health. The supplement, comprising two editorials and 12 academic papers, finds that there is an urgent need to strengthen the collection of data on newborn care, particularly on aspects related to quality of care. There also needs to be attention on identifying the remaining gaps as well as ensuring the data are aligned with global and national monitoring needs. The series of papers in this collection provide program and policy findings on measurement of maternal and newborn care and outcomes, with implications for future measurement implementation and research. The supplement provides an analysis and description of the associations and patterns of coverage and quality of recommended maternal and newborn care practices and interventions as captured at the population and facility level. It further strengthens evidence of limitation of current coverage indicators and the need for effective coverage measurement that incorporates quality of care provided. Several papers in the supplement highlight the scope of facility level data in assessing readiness to provide newborn care.
The papers in the supplement include:
- Gap between contact and content in maternal and newborn care: An analysis of data from 20 countries in sub–Saharan Africa. Liliana Carvajal–Aguirre, Agbessi Amouzou, Vrinda Mehra, Meng Ziqi, Nabila Zaka, Holly Newby. JOGH 2017; 7: 020501
- Measuring postnatal care contacts for mothers and newborns: An analysis of data from the MICS and DHS surveys. Agbessi Amouzou, Vrinda Mehra, Liliana Carvajal–Aguirre, Shane M. Khan, Deborah Sitrin, Lara ME Vaz. JOGH 2017; 7: 020502
- Evidence from household surveys for measuring coverage of newborn care practices. Deborah Sitrin, Jamie Perin, Lara ME Vaz, Liliana Carvajal–Aguirre, Shane M Khan, Joy Fishel, Agbessi Amouzou. JOGH 2017; 7: 020503
- Skilled attendant at birth and newborn survival in Sub–Saharan Africa. Agbessi Amouzou, Meng Ziqi, Liliana Carvajal–Aguirre, John Quinley. JOGH 2017; 7: 020504
- The importance of skin–to–skin contact for early initiation of breastfeeding in Nigeria and Bangladesh. Kavita Singh, Shane Khan, Liliana Carvajal–Aguirre, Paul Brodish, Agbessi Amouzou, Allisyn Moran. JOGH 2017; 7: 020505
- Does postnatal care have a role in improving newborn feeding? A study in 15 sub–Saharan African countries. Shane M Khan, Ilene S Speizer, Kavita Singh, Gustavo Angeles, Nana AY Twum–Danso, Pierre Barker. JOGH 2017; 7: 020506
- Postnatal care for newborns in Bangladesh: The importance of health–related factors and location. Kavita Singh, Paul Brodish, Mahbub Elahi Chowdhury, Taposh Kumar Biswas, Eunsoo Timothy Kim, Christine Godwin, Allisyn Moran. JOGH 2017; 7: 020507
- Does health facility service environment matter for the receipt of essential newborn care? Linking health facility and household survey data in Malawi. Liliana Carvajal–Aguirre, Vrinda Mehra, Agbessi Amouzou, Shane M Khan, Lara Vaz, Tanya Guenther, Maggie Kalino, Nabila Zaka. JOGH 2017; 7: 020508
- Assessment of health facility capacity to provide newborn care in Bangladesh, Haiti, Malawi, Senegal, and Tanzania. Rebecca Winter, Jennifer Yourkavitch, Wenjuan Wang, Lindsay Mallick. JOGH 2017; 7: 020509
- Thermal care of newborns: drying and bathing practices in Malawi and Bangladesh. Shane M Khan, Eunsoo Timothy Kim, Kavita Singh, Agbessi Amouzou, Liliana Carvajal-Aguirre. JOGH 2018; 8: 010901
- “Every Newborn-INDEPTH” (EN-INDEPTH) study protocol for a randomised comparison of household survey modules for measuring stillbirths and neonatal deaths in five Health and Demographic Surveillance sites. Angela Baschieri, Vladimir S Gordeev, Joseph Akuze, Doris Kwesiga, Hannah Blencowe, Simon Cousens, Peter Waiswa, Ane B Fisker, Sanne M Thysen, Amabelia Rodrigues, Gashaw A Biks, Solomon M Abebe, Kassahun A Gelaye, Mezgebu Y Mengistu, Bisrat M Geremew, Tadesse G Delele, Adane K Tesega, Temesgen A Yitayew, Simon Kasasa, Edward Galiwango, Davis Natukwatsa, Dan Kajungu, Yeetey AK Enuameh, Obed E Nettey, Francis Dzabeng, Seeba Amenga-Etego, Sam K Newton, Alexander A Manu, Charlotte Tawiah, Kwaku P Asante, Seth Owusu-Agyei, Nurul Alam, M M Haider, Sayed S Alam, Fred Arnold, Peter Byass, Trevor N Croft, Kobus Herbst, Sunita Kishor, Florina Serbanescu, Joy E Lawn. JOGH 2019: 9: 010901
- “Every Newborn-BIRTH” protocol: observational study validating indicators for coverage and quality of maternal and newborn health care in Bangladesh, Nepal and Tanzania.