Delivering quality maternal and newborn healthcare requires more than the availability of essential commodities; it depends on skilled healthcare providers, accurate data, functional quality improvement systems, and strong community engagement. In June, TAConnect reinforced these critical building blocks through a three-day mentoring exercise across 12 supported health facilities in Kagarko Local Government Area of Kaduna State.
The activity formed part of TAConnect’s ongoing commitment to strengthening the quality of maternal and newborn health services by providing continuous technical assistance to frontline healthcare workers and health facilities.
Over the three-day exercise, the team conducted post-monthly data review visits while administering the Maternal and Newborn Health Improvement (MNHI) mentoring checklist to Skilled Birth Attendants (SBAs). The assessments focused on healthcare providers’ competencies in Active Management of the Third Stage of Labour (AMTSL), quality of clinical documentation, and timely activation of the Postpartum Haemorrhage (PPH) E-MOTIVE Bundle of Care, an evidence-based approach to preventing and managing one of the leading causes of maternal deaths.
The mentoring visits provided opportunities for hands-on mentorship, enabling TAConnect’s technical team to work directly with healthcare providers to address identified gaps in clinical practice and documentation. By reinforcing adherence to standard treatment protocols and strengthening providers’ confidence in managing obstetric emergencies, the exercise contributes to improving the quality and consistency of maternal healthcare services.
Recognizing that quality care also depends on uninterrupted access to essential medicines and supplies, the team conducted inventories of maternal and newborn health commodities in the facilities visited. Facility managers were encouraged to utilize the Drug Revolving Fund (DRF) platform to strengthen commodity availability and promote sustainable supply chain management. To address immediate shortages, TAConnect also facilitated the redistribution of maternal and newborn health commodities between facilities experiencing stock surpluses and those facing stockouts, ensuring that lifesaving supplies remained available where they were needed most.
Beyond strengthening health facility performance, TAConnect also supported community participation in improving health outcomes by participating in the monthly Quality Improvement Team and Ward Development Committee meetings at Dogon Kurmi Primary Health Centre. The meeting integrated Community Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (cMPDSR), bringing together 33 participants, including Ward Development Committee members, religious and traditional leaders, and healthcare workers, to review maternal and newborn health issues and identify locally driven solutions.
The integration of community structures into quality improvement processes reflects TAConnect’s belief that sustainable health system strengthening extends beyond health facilities. By empowering communities to participate in identifying challenges, promoting accountability, and supporting timely care-seeking, the organization is helping to create stronger links between households and health services.
Through continuous service delivery and data-driven mentoring, commodity management, and community engagement, TAConnect is supporting Kaduna State in institutionalizing quality improvement practices that strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare. These efforts reinforce TAConnect’s commitment to building resilient Primary Healthcare systems where healthcare workers are equipped, facilities are supported, and communities are empowered to improve health outcomes for mothers and newborns.
