Project News

The second Stakeholder Workshop for the Development of the MCH RB Management Guide was conducted 14 January 2021 in Kumasi to discuss and update on the progress of the development of the Management Guide on MCH Record Book. 32 stakeholders from Family Health Division, Policy Planning Monitoring and Evaluation Division, Public Health Division and Store, Supplies and Drug Management Division of GHS HQ, Ashanti Regional Health Directorate (RHD), Western North RHD, Bono RHD, Bono East RHD, Eastern RHD, UNFPA, MCH RB Project have attended the workshop to discuss and build consensus on outstanding content for the key areas of the guide and to discuss next steps for validation and dissemination of the Management Guide.

The workshop started with opening remarks by the Dr. Kofi Issah, Director FHD (Project manager, MCHRB project) to stress the importance of management guide for the national rollout of the MCH RB and its sustainability. Dr. Akiko Hagiwara (Chief Advisor, MCHRB project) stressed that the MCHRB was a platform of Integrated RMNCAHN among all stakeholders related and thus the rules and regulation were needed for the coordination of various stakeholder.

1. Updates on progress of development of the management guide

After presentation by Dr. Akiko on the rationale and objectives of the management guide on MCH RB, Ms. Esi Amoaful (Deputy director, Nutrition, FHD) continued to review the major Issues discussed on the management guide at previous workshop. Ms. Esi pointed out that issues in several key areas such as logistic management of MCHRB needed further discussion.

2. Consensus building on outstanding content for the key areas of the guide

The participants formed three groups to review the current draft and to come up with analysis of current situation/practice, gaps, and recommended actions on the outstanding contents of the three key areas 1) coordination and partnership, 2) logistics management 3) operational issues and sustainability including financial sustainability, distribution and eligibility criteria. Regarding the coordination and partnership, stakeholders proposed and stressed importance of the establishment of a national coordinating unit (committee) to maintain and manage the MCH RB program in line with a national health system, discussed and confirmed the terms of reference for various stakeholders. It was also suggested to use the new Ghana Logistic Management Information System (GLMIS) software which were introduced by the Ghanaian government in 2020 for the logistics and stock management of the MCH RB and finally the stakeholders agreed on the work plan towards the finalization of the management guide. There were active exchanges of opinions also on issues like eligibility criteria, sales of the book. Dr. Akiko commented that careful discussion was needed for the distribution criteria which should not over burden GHS and MOH with the huge printing cost of the MCH RB to all children.

The next steps are to write up sections of the Management Guide in small groups based on the points made in the stakeholder workshop and proof-read the updated guide.

Photo taken at the 2nd Stakeholder Workshop for the Development of the MCH RB Management Guide