Journal of Womens Health and Reproductive Medicine

Healthy Village Initiative (HVI): The impact of community based healthcare initiative on maternal and child health

International Congress on Midwifery and Maternal health
April 11, 2022 | Webinar

Mohammad Haqmal

The former Afghanistan Ministry of Public Health Senior Official, Afghanistan

ScientificTracks Abstracts: J Womens Health Reprod Med

Abstract

Background and rational: Utilization and access to healthcare is a huge challenge in Afghanistan. In 2003 Afghanistan had 1237 health facilities, offering only 40% of the population access to healthcare. With support from the international community, this grew to 2692 in 2013, resulting in improved health indicators. Nevertheless, some of the remote districts showed no significant improvements in their health indicators because of low utilization of health facilities. In 2015, 600 of the health facilities with skilled midwives carried out no institutional deliveries. To address these challenges, the Ministry of Public Health undertook with full involvement of the community over 18 months through the Community Based Health Care team, the Healthy Village Initiative (HVI) in two districts with the lowest utilization status. An assessment was carried out at the end of the project. Objectives: This assessment reviewed the effectiveness of the HVI implementation in improving the quality and utilization of health services provided by facilities in the target districts. Methodology: Quantitative data were analysed and qualitative interviews were conducted with implementers, receivers and stakeholders. Findings: Results showed significant improvements: • Utilization of health facilities doubled • Infant and children vaccinations increased by 40% • Institutional deliveries were increased by 35%, • Screening of malnourished children and patient’s satisfaction increased by 50%. Further success depends on regular monitoring, effective implementation and recommendations of the assessors. Conclusion: This project achieved its objectives. Evidence showed that quality improved and utilization of health services increased through involvement of community health workers under the HVI.

Biography

Mohammad Haqmal is an award-winning senior international public health and health system innovation expert. He has 18 years, experience of public health projects in South & Central Asia. He is a research fellow at the University of Cambridge and has led multi-millions dollar projects in primary healthcare, including communicable disease, maternal and child health at regional and national level. He led the Public Health Department of the Afghanistan Ministry of Health from 2013-2017 where he managed the health service delivery projects for over six million populations. He set up the district health system in Afghanistan in 2008- 2012. In 2019 he was awarded the Health Hero award for the design and implementation of various innovations with main focus on maternal and child mortality. Dr Haqmal is a medical doctor with msc in Global Health from University College London; MPH from the University of Liverpool; MBA from Preston University in Pakistan.