Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: results using the child health and nutrition research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continen
Loading...
Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
AAS open research
Abstract
Background: Africa will miss the maternal and neonatal health (MNH)
Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets if the current trajectory
is followed. The African Academy of Sciences has formed an expert
maternal and newborn health group to discuss actions to improve
MNH SDG targets. The team, among other recommendations, chose
to implement an MNH research prioritization exercise for Africa
covering four grand challenge areas.
Methods: The team used the Child Health and Nutrition Research
Initiative (CHNRI) research prioritization method to identify research
priorities in maternal and newborn health in Africa. From 609 research
options, a ranking of the top 46 research questions was achieved.
Research priority scores and agreement statistics were calculated,
with sub-analysis possible for the regions of East Africa, West Africa
and those living out of the continent.
Results: The top research priorities generally fell into (i) improving
identification of high-risk mothers and newborns, or diagnosis of
high-risk conditions in mothers and newborns to improve health
outcomes; (ii) improving access to treatment through improving
incentives to attract and retain skilled health workers in remote, rural
areas, improving emergency transport, and assessing health systems'
readiness; and (iii) improving uptake of proven existing interventions
such as Kangaroo Mother Care.
Conclusions: The research priorities emphasized building
interventions that improved access to quality healthcare in the lowest
possible units of the provision of MNH interventions. The lists
prioritized participation of communities in delivering MNH
interventions. The current burden of disease from MNCH in Africa
aligns well with the list of priorities listed from this exercise but
provides extra insights into current needs by African practitioners.
The MNCH Africa expert group believes that the recommendations
from this work should be implemented by multisectoral teams as
soon as possible to provide adequate lead time for results of the
succeeding programmes to be seen before 2030.
Description
Keywords
Maternal health, Neonatal health, Newborn health
Citation
Alobo, M., Mgone, C., Lawn, J., Adhiambo, C., Wazny, K., Ezeaka, C., Molyneux, E., Temmerman, M., Okong, P., Malata, A. and Kariuki, T., 2021. Research priorities in maternal and neonatal health in Africa: results using the Child Health and Nutrition Research Initiative method involving over 900 experts across the continent. AAS open research, 4.