Sudan
We increase the capacity of Sudan’s institutions to sustainably plan for and manage quality health services.
Improving maternal, newborn, and child health services requires leadership, along with financial and human resources. MOMENTUM works with institutions in Sudan’s South Kordofan state to strengthen their capacity to plan, manage, and maintain high-quality health services and safe water, sanitation, and hygiene in communities and health facilities.
Community Oversight of Maternal and Newborn Health and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services
MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience engages communities to oversee and improve maternal and newborn health services, address barriers to adopting care-seeking and healthy behaviors, and improve water, sanitation, and hygiene services. Through social accountability processes, such as CARE’s Community Scorecard approach, we bring together community leaders and service providers to identify challenges, generate solutions, and implement and track the effectiveness of those solutions.
Coordinating With Humanitarian Organizations
In South Kordofan state, humanitarian organizations, including United Nations agencies and non-profit organizations, provide the bulk of essential health and water, sanitation, and hygiene services to communities. MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience links and coordinates with humanitarian organizations to map existing health program activities and timelines, identify gaps, and maximize opportunities to improve coverage and use of maternal, newborn, and child health interventions and water, sanitation, and hygiene services.
Improving the Quality of Maternal and Newborn Health Services, With a Focus on Emergency Care
Many gaps exist in Sudan’s health system. Among them are limited maternal, newborn, and child health services due to lack of human resources, stockouts of essential drugs and equipment, poor quality improvement processes and teams, and poor data quality and analysis. MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience works to manage and improve the quality of maternal and newborn care at state and local levels in South Kordofan. MOMENTUM also works with health workers, including village midwives and community health workers, to strengthen their capacity for high-quality care through clinical mentoring and on-the-job competency-based training during routine supervision visits. The providers are trained to identify pregnancy-related danger signs and make referrals for emergency obstetric and newborn care and other essential services.
Improving Quality of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Services in Health Facilities and Surrounding Communities
Basic water, sanitation, and hygiene practices in health care facilities are fundamental to achieving national health goals and Sustainable Development Goals. Safe water, functioning handwashing facilities and latrines, and thorough hygiene and cleaning practices are essential for infection prevention and optimal maternal, newborn, and child health outcomes. MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience facilitates a quality improvement process to strengthen water, sanitation, and hygiene services in health facilities, bringing together key stakeholders to assess needs, define priorities, and implement plans to improve practices and infrastructure with local resources.
In collaboration with state, local, and community leaders, MOMENTUM will nominate local entrepreneurs known as “circuit riders” and train them as mechanics responsible for repairing and maintaining water systems in designated service areas, collecting payment from the community for their services.
To learn more about our water, sanitation, and hygiene work, read our blog.
Transforming Social Norms for Better Health
Underlying norms, cultural beliefs, and practices in Sudan inhibit women’s health-seeking behaviors and promote risky practices, such as home delivery, low adoption of breastfeeding, and early marriage and childbearing. MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience engages communities in activities, such as community dialogues, to change attitudes and social norms that impede individuals and families from adopting healthy behaviors and seeking health care. At the same time, MOMENTUM will work with health providers to adopt attitudes that encourage respectful, client-centered care.
MOMENTUM Integrated Health Resilience: CARE, Humanitarian Cluster System, National Midwives Association and its sub-national affiliate in South Kordofan
Interested in partnering with us or learning more about our work in Sudan? Contact us here or check out our regional reference brief.
Learn more about USAID’s work in Sudan.
Last updated September 2022.