Participant: Ms.Mary Fullah Sierra Leone
Course: KCCP (Group and region focus) Public Health Activities for Strengthening Maternal and Child Health (A)
In Sierra Leone, several types of record cards were used at random in the field of maternal and child health services, with no integrated record card for mothers and children. In 2016, Ms. Mary Fullah learned about the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook in Japan when she participated in KCCP at JICA Okinawa, and was strongly attracted to its roles and functions. She learnt that utilizing the MCH handbook enables seamless, high-quality maternal and child health services and was keen to introduce it in her country.
Upon her return from Japan, she started working actively towards the introduction of the MCH handbook. She visited the JICA Sierra Leone Office many times to ask for support, and repeatedly appealed to various high-level officials in the Ministry to get approval of carrying out a survey on the introduction of the MCH handbook. As a result, she succeeded in establishing a working group for the MCH handbook within the Ministry.
In 2017, the development of the Sierra Leone’s MCH handbook started with the support of JICA’s follow-up Cooperation. Struck by her enthusiasm and energy, the JICA Office and JICA Senior Advisor provided financial and technical support to develop the MCH handbook, in cooperation with other international organizations such as the WHO and UNICEF.
“When I returned from Japan and proposed to introduce a MCH handbook, my voice as one nurse/midwife never reached the senior management of the Ministry of Health. Even when I made samples of the handbook and tried to test them, my suggestions were ignored and the book was even ridiculed as a ‘Mary's handbook’. However, I did not give up. My supervisor at the time encourages me to implement the action plan and JICA was always there to support and encourage me”., said Ms. Mary.
The first edition was developed in July 2018, after the pilot area was identified. Ms. Mary and 6 relevant directors and managers in the Ministry of Health visited Ghana where the MCH handbook has already been utilized with JICA’s cooperation. Ghana’s experience was truly eye-opening and these officials became a strong driving force in expanding the MCH handbook. After Ghana’s visit, the MCH handbook was introduced in health centers in three provinces for 2 years as a pilot. Ms. Mary, who promoted herself Deputy Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer, took time out of her busy duties to conduct the training, quarterly monitoring and on-site coaching together with public health nurses and midwives in each province.
Ms. Mary summarized the results of the introduction study and reported them at an executive meeting of the Ministry chaired by the Minister of Health. As a result, the effectiveness of the MCH handbook was recognized throughout the Ministry. In April 2022, the Minister of Health officially launched MCH Handbook as National documents.(For more information, click here
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In cooperation with JICA and UNICEF, Ms. Mary as a Chief Nursing and Midwifery Officer prepared for the national roll-out of the MCH handbooks. And now, finally JICA dispatched an Expert to support the development of training materials and guidelines.
“Toward expanding the life-saving handbooks, we are working to encourage local governments to print the MCH handbooks by their own in the future. I will never give up on a tiny fragile life for lack of resources or funding.” said Ms. Mary emphatically.
In April 2022, the Minister of Health officially launched MCH Handbook as National documents
Dr. Hagiwara/Senior Health Advisor, Ms. Nakata/Expert and Ms. Mary @ Kick-off meeting of MCH Handbook Project
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