Health and Nutrition
December 3, 2024
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MNCH Strategy 5 Years CostingÂ
About Project
Mercy Corps is implementing a four-year Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) program in Quetta, Gwadar, and Kech districts of Balochistan, Pakistan, with support from USAID and the Scottish Government. The program addresses the high rates of maternal and neonatal mortality in Pakistan by focusing on improving skilled birth attendance in remote communities. Despite efforts to train community midwives (CMWs), many have struggled to establish clinics and attract clients.
The Saving Mothers and Newborns in Communities (SMNC) initiative seeks to enhance maternal and newborn health by enabling CMWs to become self-sustaining, private MNCH service providers. The program includes key components such as clinical refresher training, business skills development, the establishment of home-based clinics, and the integration of mobile health (mHealth) technology to track patient data and send reminders. Additionally, the program strengthens behavior change efforts, timely referrals, and policy-level support through the development of a five-year MNCH strategy for the Balochistan Department of Health (DoH).
The objective of this initiative is to provide evidence on scaling high-impact MNCH interventions through CMWs, with a focus on quality improvement, capacity building, and creating an enabling environment for CMWs to deliver essential maternal and newborn health services.
Momentum played a key role in executing a comprehensive costing exercise for the implementation of the Balochistan MNCH Strategy 2017-2022. Our financial management experts meticulously itemized costs, assessed budget allocations, and identified gaps, ensuring the strategy’s financial feasibility. Below are the steps taken to achieve the deliverables:
Inception Report and Desk Review: Momentum initiated the project by reviewing all relevant documents, including the MNCH Strategy, existing PC-1s, and other budgetary frameworks. This phase allowed us to develop a strong understanding of the scope and intricacies involved in the costing exercise.
Costed Implementation Plan Development: Momentum’s financial experts developed a draft implementation plan for the MNCH strategy. We identified covered (budgeted) and uncovered (non-budgeted) areas, referencing the MNCH PC-1, PPHI budget, RMNCAH costing, and other relevant financial documents. We provided detailed breakups for each budget line, including unit costs and yearly breakdowns, ensuring that the plan was aligned with the government’s existing financial structures.
Stakeholder Engagement and Feedback: The draft implementation plan was presented to key stakeholders, including the MNCH program team, Mercy Corps, and the Planning Cell. Feedback was gathered, and necessary revisions were made to ensure the plan was comprehensive and met all requirements.
Final Costed MNCH Strategy: Incorporating all inputs, the final costed MNCH Strategy and detailed implementation plan were completed. This included a clear outline of covered and uncovered budgetary needs, ensuring transparency and accountability in the financial planning process.
Presentation of Final Costing: The finalized costing strategy was presented to the Balochistan Health Department. Our team provided a detailed walkthrough of the financial plan, highlighting key areas and recommendations to ensure the effective implementation of the MNCH strategy.
Donor Engagement: Following the presentation, Momentum took proactive steps to engage with donors, aiming to secure pledges for the uncovered budgetary areas. This was crucial in ensuring that the Government of Balochistan had the necessary financial support to implement the MNCH strategy effectively.
Through these steps, Momentum successfully delivered a comprehensive financial plan, laying the groundwork for the sustainable implementation of the MNCH Strategy in Balochistan
Dr. Shehzad
Dr. Saima Shafique
Khurram Aziz
Powered By: Momentum
