ACCESS Health Announces Partnership with Jhpiego and NICE Foundation for Maternal Health Project in Madhya Pradesh
ACCESS Health is happy to unveil its second project partnership with Jhpiego and NICE Foundation, uniting efforts to enhance maternal health through the ‘Accelerating Measurable Progress and Leveraging Investments for Postpartum Haemorrhage Impact (AMPLI-PPHI)’ Unitaid-funded initiative in Vidisha district, Madhya Pradesh, India.
The partnership started with a kick-start meeting followed by a three-day field visit and orientation workshop in December 2023, addressed by Dr. Parag Bhamare, Country Lead – Maternal and Newborn Health, JHPIEGO and Dr. Chirag Bhola, National Program Officer – AMPLI PPHI (Unitaid).
Jhpiego leads the AMPLI-PPHI project in partnership with the Department of Health, Madhya Pradesh. The project aims to prevent postpartum haemorrhage one of the leading causes of maternal mortality. The project’s prime objective is promoting institutional deliveries. However, if a mother gives birth at home, uptake of misoprostol tablets will be ensured, to avoid postpartum haemorrhage complications. MoHFW, Govt. of India issued the guidelines for the Misoprostol tablets in 2013, but the implementation has yet to start.
The team attended a detailed orientation on the AMPLI-PPHI project by Dr Chirag Bhola, National Program Officer – AMPLI PPHI (Unitaid), which provided insights into its objectives and the groundwork done by the JHPIEGO team. Understanding the project’s major aspects and the efficient implementation of misoprostol for preventing postpartum haemorrhage was crucial. The ground team of JHPIEGO and the project head detailed every nuance and jointly generated the work plan for the seamless implementation of the project.
The team visited the project intervention area (selected for the implementation research) for interaction with the community and the stakeholders from the department as well as from the community. The challenges are immense and demand a holistic solution that addresses both the provider and community levels. On day three, the team visited health facilities to understand the provider’s perspective and challenges in mobilizing communities for institutional deliveries.
The team also attended a session of the IAPSM Regional Conference 2023 at ABV Govt. Medical College, Vidisha moderated by JHPIEGO. The session featured esteemed speakers discussing innovative models like the Chhattisgarh Drape navigating challenges and mapping the course to strengthen maternal health in India.
ACCESS Health International and NICE Foundation will be working as a community-based organisation in the implementation area of the AMPLI-PPHI project in Vidisha, Madhya Pradesh.