The Effective Perinatal Care (EPC) training program currently underway in Kyrgyzstan marks a significant step towards improving maternal and newborn health in the country. With the participation of over 250 health care professionals specializing in midwifery, obstetrics-gynaecology, neonatology, nursing, and critical care, the EPC training course aims to enhance the quality and outcomes of care for mothers, babies, and their families by upgrading the professional and managerial competencies of health care providers.
Training through collaboration
Tailored to the specific needs identified during the October 2021 baseline assessment on the quality of maternal, newborn, and child health in Kyrgyzstan, the EPC training is a collaborative effort between WHO and the National Medical Research Centre for Obstetrics, Gynaecology, and Perinatology named after academician V.I. Kulakov, also known as the WHO Collaboration Centre in the Russian Federation.
The training aims to identify the clinical and administrative challenges faced by hospitals to understand their underlying causes and engage staff in finding solutions. In addition to addressing gaps in knowledge and skills, the course provides participants with effective perinatal technologies necessary to provide high-quality care. Practical, on-the-job training complements short- and long-term capacity development planning and the promotion of evidence-based practices.
By implementing this training program, Kyrgyzstan demonstrates its commitment to enhancing the quality of hospital care, reducing maternal, newborn, and child mortality rates, and accelerating progress towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to health.
Approaches to perinatal care
The training sessions took place in pilot health care institutions, including the Issyk-Kul Oblast Hospital, Balykchy Centre of General Practice, and the National Centre of Maternal and Child Health, as well as elsewhere in the country. Health care professionals gained insights into clinical best practices, effective management strategies, and evidence-based approaches to perinatal care.
“When I was told that I was going to be included in a list of participants from our hospitals, I thought ‘this training is not really for me as I’m an intensive care doctor’. Now, at the end of the training, I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to be part of this on-the-job training. Our trainers were so dedicated, positive and motivating, but, even more importantly, now I know that effective perinatal care requires a multidisciplinary approach and that everyone plays an important role, including intensive care unit specialists,” notes Dr Chinara Choibasheva, an intensive care doctor at the Balykchy Centre of General Practice.
“Effective perinatal care is the foundation of a healthier future for mothers and newborns. We need to ensure that every woman receives the quality care she deserves, and that every newborn enters the world with the best possible start in life,” highlights Dr Shahin Huseynov, WHO Representative in the Kyrgyz Republic and ad interim Head of Office.
Background
In 2021, with financial assistance from the Russian Federation through WHO, 4 countries in Asia, including Mongolia, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Vietnam, were targeted to improve the quality of hospital care, to reduce maternal, newborn and child deaths and accelerate the achievement of the SDG health targets in their countries. The main goal of this initiative is to strengthen the national health system’s capacity to accelerate ending preventable maternal, newborn and child mortality by improving the quality of care.
The current project aims to demonstrate the scale-up of best practices and lessons learned from the paediatric quality of care initiative 2012–2014, which, with financial support from the Russian Federation, aimed to improve paediatric quality of care in 40 hospitals and was implemented in Angola, Ethiopia, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan. However, the scope has been significantly expanded to incorporate quality of care interventions and health system strengthening to improve the entire spectrum of maternal, newborn and infant care and services in the 4 selected countries.