Reducing maternal, neonatal, and child mortality and improving quality of health care through a national task-shifting program for public hospitals in Liberia.

Abstract

Background: Contributing to the high hospital-based maternal, neonatal, and child mortalities in low resource countries and conflict zones is a shortage of health workers, especially physicians. Training programs, conducted over 12 years, have enhanced the skills of midwives, and nurses, to provide high quality, hospital-based, care to pregnant women, newborn infants, children, and adolescents.

Methods: A task-shifting partnership between the Ministry of Health, World Health Organisation, United Nations Population Fund, United Nations Children's Emergency Fund and the charity Maternal and Childhealth Advocacy International was established in 2012. Rural county health teams selected 37 midwives, 20 nurses, 1 nurse/midwife and 2 physician assistants, for advanced training. They were appointed following a written examination and interview. Obstetric clinician trainees underwent a 3-year programme, which included operative procedures. The training programs for neonatal and paediatric clinician trainees were 2 years and 2.3 years, respectively. Training consisted of apprenticeship-based training and distance learning. It was delivered by Liberian and international specialists. Trainee competence was established by continuous clinical assessment, oral, and written clinical examinations. The programme also upgraded hospital buildings and provided essential equipment and drugs.

Results: 59 trainees completed training, 2 failed and 57 qualified in final examinations. 27 are working as obstetric clinicians, 15 are working as neonatal clinicians, and 11 are working as paediatric clinicians. Therefore, 53 are working in 18 hospitals and 4 Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) facilities. Obstetric clinicians manage major obstetric emergencies. They perform abdominal surgery, including the management of ruptured ectopic pregnancy and basic and complicated caesarean sections. Neonatal clinicians resuscitate and care for sick and premature babies to WHO Special Care Level 2. Paediatric clinicians manage the main paediatric emergencies that contribute to high mortality. Before the arrival of the international trainer, paediatric mortality in the training hospital was 9.5% and was 4.1% in the final year of training.

Conclusions: This task shifting programme in Liberia has shown that midwives and nurses can be trained to provide safe and effective hospital care for pregnant women, newborn infants and children. This approach is one solution to the health workforce problem in low resource and conflict settings.