Resource Library

The International Confederation of Midwives (ICM) is concerned that the human rights of women, their babies and their midwives are being violated by the introduction, in many countries, of inappropriate protocols for management of pregnancy, birth and postnatal care in response to the Covid-19 pandemic. These inappropriate protocols are not based in current reputable evidence and are harmful to women and their babies.

Drawing on recommendations from reputable sources and current research evidence for the care of pregnant women and babies during the Covid-19 pandemic, ICM has developed advice for midwives, other health professionals and health service managers about the care of women and their babies during the childbirth continuum. 

This synthesis brief includes select key messages from the consolidated guidance related to the provision of maternal and newborn health (MNH) care, over-the counter pharmacy provision of pregnancy self-tests, as well as the full individual recommendations related to improving antenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care (See Annex, pg. 3)

The purpose of this operational guidance is to provide country stakeholders (including policy-makers, program managers and civil society members) with a flexible process to guide the design, implementation, and monitoring of efforts to strengthen respectful maternity care and eliminate mistreatment as part of comprehensive maternal and newborn health programs.

This resource links out to the operational guidance in SPANISH: Mettre en pratique des soins de maternité respectueux dans le cadre de programmes complets de soins maternels et néonatals de MCSP, Directives opérationnelles.

Five EPMM/ENAP targets for 2025. These targets show indicators as well as percentages for global, national and subnational targets.

Midwives and nurses play a vital role in protecting, promoting and supporting breastfeeding worldwide. Skilled breastfeeding support from midwives and nurses helps prevent childhood infections and mortality, while boosting cognitive development and decreasing rates of obesity, diabetes and maternal and child cancers. Bonding and attachment are intrinsic to the breastfeeding relationship and foster mental and emotional health and development for both mother and child. Universal breastfeeding could prevent 823,000 child deaths and 20,000 maternal deaths each year and spur significant economic savings.

This Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) Implementation Guide provides pertinent guidelines primarily for national-level policymakers and managers of maternal and newborn health programs. Chapters detail key steps in the development, implementation and expansion of sustainable, facility-based KMC services in developing countries.

This guideline, developed by a panel of international experts and informed by a thorough review of existing evidence, provides recommendations on the use of antibiotics for neonates and young infants (0–59 days old) with PSBI in order to reduce young infant mortality rates. This guideline is intended for use in resource-limited settings in situations when families do not accept or cannot access referral. It seeks to provide programmatic guidance on the role of community health workers (CHWs) and home visits in identifying signs of serious infections in neonates and young infants. It also seeks to provide clinical guidance on the simplest antibiotic regimens that are both safe and effective for outpatient treatment of clinical severe infections and fast breathing (pneumonia) in children 0–59 days old.

This guideline will not replace the WHO-recommended inpatient management as the preferred treatment option for young infants who have clinical severe infection or critical illness. Close follow-up is essential for young infants managed on an outpatient basis where referral is not possible.

This guideline will help health care providers make appropriate management decisions about sick young infants whose families cannot access referral care. They will also guide national policy-makers in health ministries, programme managers, and development partners and will inform revisions to current WHO training and reference materials such as the Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) Chart Booklet (3) and the Pocket Book of Hospital Care for Children: guidelines for the management of common illnesses (4). 

The resource was included in the launch of the Ending Preventable Maternal Mortality (EPMM) coverage targets and milestones to 2025. These coverage targets have been developed to support countries with setting interim targets and milestones to 2025 toward accelerating progress to meet the Sustainable Development Goal 3.1 to reduce maternal mortality in all countries.

This Thematic Brief summarizes why nurturing care is essential for every newborn. It outlines the five components of nurturing care and contains examples of practical actions to create and strengthen nurturing environments for newborns, including those who are born too soon, small or sick.

The first month of life is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for children to begin the journey of unlocking their full potential. Policy-makers, health care managers, health care providers and parents can lead the transformation that is needed for every newborn to make the best start in life. In this Brief, six case studies illustrate what can be done to create a nurturing environment and enable caregivers to provide nurturing care for their newborns, starting in the health facility and continuing at home. 

The report gives a comprehensive overview of parents’ unique experiences regarding neonatal care provision and the impact of implemented restrictions during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nest360 and UNICEF Implementation Toolkit for Small and Sick Newborn Care brings together readings, tools and learning to provide a one-stop shop for implementers to act, use, share and learn. Information in support of WHO norms and standards from more than 300 implementers around the world is systematically organized in this open access online toolkit to enable implementation and reach every newborn.

Since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO has engaged with countries to ensure the continuity of essential health services. Through a special initiative, the Department of Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health and Ageing has supported 19 countries: Bangladesh, Bolivia, Brazil, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Ethiopia, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, Nepal, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, South Africa, Sudan, Tajikistan, Timor-Leste, Uganda and Yemen in their efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19 on essential MNCH services.

This global event shared and discussed countries’ experiences and lessons learned during the implementation, including establishing structures and systems to coordinate the response and ensure continuity of services,  proactive use of data to inform decision-making, adaptation of service delivery and innovation.

This event offered health policymakers, health systems, programme managers, emergency officers, MNCH programme implementers, health professionals, researchers, development and funding partners with an opportunity to interact with Ministries of Health and implementers from the 19 countries and discuss strategies to strengthen the health systems able to rapidly respond and build back better.