Transforming Health Care for Mothers and Babies in the Former Soviet Union

Our colleagues at JSI recently published a document that describes recent changes and improvements in maternal and infant health care across several countries in the former soviet union. The document, Transforming Health Care for Mothers and Babies in the Former Soviet Union, also outlines JSI’s role in supporting changes in the health systems of these countries.

According the JSI’s website, “This document presents the ways in which improvements were introduced and scaled up, the quantitative impact they have had on the health and survival of mothers and newborns and on health systems, and stories from families and health workers whose lives have been immeasurably enriched by the modern, humane and evidence-based methods of care brought by the projects.”

More about the report:

The changes have contributed to reduced postpartum hemorrhage and other conditions that underlie maternal death as well as to reduced newborn hypothermia and asphyxia, reflected in declines in indicators such as early neonatal mortality. The changes also fostered increases in contraceptive use that helped reduce reliance on abortion. Beyond that, JSI has empowered women, families, health care providers and health administrators to take the initiative to improve health services in their communities.

Starting in 1999, with USAID funding, JSI supported the governments of Russia, Ukraine, Georgia and the five Central Asian Republics – Kazakhstan, the Kyrgyz Republic, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan – to launch pilot projects to improve maternal and infant care and reduce maternal and infant morbidity and mortality and then roll out successful interventions. A little over a decade later, the region’s maternal and infant health care systems are stronger than before.

Learn more about the report here.

Download the report here.