PIMI – Integrated Programme to reduce Maternal and Child mortality – strengthening the availability and quality of Maternal and Child Care in the health administration

Guinea-Bissau: regions of Cacheu, Biombo, Farim and Oio

In Guinea-Bissau, the Integrated Programme for the Reduction of Maternal and Child Mortality (PIMI, in Portuguese) entered the final year of implementation and continued its action in maternal and child healthcare. The action focused on the improvement of the health structures (with equipment, technical and human capacity) in order to increase the response capacity to the existing needs in the targeted regions. Taking into account the PIMI positive outcomes, the project initially implemented in 4 regions will be extended to the entire country in 2017.

OBJECTIVES

Overall: contribute to the reduction of maternal, neonatal and child mortality in the 4 health regions and, in particular, for the achievement of the adjusted targets of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs); decrease of maternal and child mortality rates to 777/100.000 and 108%, respectively.
Specific: ensure and sustain a better access to quality healthcare for pregnant women and women who have recently given birth (up to 45 days after childbirth) and children under 5 years of age, in the 4 target regions.

BENEFICIARIES

Direct:
  • 90.341 children under 5 years of age and
  • 116.911 women of reproductive age in the target regions,
  • 255 health professionals in 45 targeted health areas (Health Centres and Hospitals).
Indirect:  at least 531.415 residents in the 4 health regions.

ACTIVITIES

  • Drafting and adaptation of the Instrument for the Quantification of Needs of Medicines and Medical Consumables;
  • Acquisition of essential medicines and medical consumables, as foreseen in the free-of-charge list;
  • Strengthening the logistics of distributing medicines and medical consumables to health structures;
  • Implementation of the Minimum Package (MP) and Complementary Package (CP) in Maternal and Child Healthcare;
  • Revitalisation of the blood transfusion services within the Complementary Obstetrics and Neonatal Urgency Services (CONUC);
  • Revival of the “Verbal Autopsy” sessions, in order to determine the cause of maternal and neonatal deaths;
  • Developing an effective system for reference and counter-reference in Health Centres and Regional Hospitals;
  • Theoretical and practice trainings on key areas of maternal and child healthcare, such as: Basic and Complementary Obstetrics and
  • Neonatal Urgency Services (CONUB/CONUC), Haematology, Blood Transfusion and Bio-safety, Obstetric Ultrasound, C-section, Anaesthesia, Child Tuberculosis, and other specific trainings;
  • Guarantee of in-job follow-up, in order to consolidate the medical practices acquired;
  • Development and continuous adjustment of a Health Information System in the targeted health structures;
  • Implementation of the Initiative for Improving the Quality of Maternal and Child Healthcare in Health Centres and Regional Hospitals;
  • Incentives based on assiduity and performance of health professionals;
  • Rehabilitation and maintenance of health infrastructures in the 4 targeted health regions
  • Provision of drinking water supply systems and electric power through photovoltaic energy, in Hospitals and Health Centres;
  • Provision of medical and surgical equipments, and ensuring its maintenance;
  • Support to health structures in case of out-of-stock medical consumables and others.

PARTNERS

  • Ministry of Ministry of Health of Guinea-Bissau
  • United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) 
  • Entraide Médicale Internationale (EMI)

Duration

  • Jul 2013 to Nov 2016

Financing

  • European Union, Camões, I.P. and Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation