Mothers in low- and middle-income countries have long faced challenges when it comes to seeking maternal health care. Sadly, the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated difficulties created by weak health systems and infrastructures, disrupting essential health services. A UNICEF survey from August 2020 reports that 85 percent of 159 countries have experienced some disruption in essential services since the pandemic began.

On March 24, 2021, MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership Director Koki Agarwal addressed these ongoing challenges in her guest-authored blog, “Ensuring Essential Health Care for Mothers and Newborns During the Pandemic,” featured on the Wilson Center’s Dot-Mom column as part of their Africa in Transition series.

MOMENTUM has been working with partner countries to ensure that mothers and children continue to receive the care they need throughout the pandemic. To add to existing guidance developed by the WHO, UNICEF, and UNFPA, we’ve developed guidelines that recommend how providers and facility managers can modify maternal health care to address pandemic-specific issues.

Learn more about how MOMENTUM is addressing disruptions to essential services during the COVID-19 pandemic.