FORUM: NEST program holds inaugural newborn quality improvement task force meeting in Moro
The Tanzania team of the Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST 360°) – a global consortium committed to ensuring that every hospital in Africa can deliver life-saving care for small and sick newborns – held its inaugural newborn quality improvement task force meeting here from May 20-21, 2021.
NEST researchers and their colleagues from partner organizations met to discuss the existing national guidelines/strategies for quality improvement (QI); review the available QI tools at the National and regional level; discuss how NEST 360 Program can integrate within the existing system considering multidisciplinary approach; identify a multidisciplinary quality improvement team for newborn care; plan the Training of trainers for QI visits.
Expected Outcomes of the meeting are: understanding of the National QI guidelines and QI tools for newborn care; having a draft of an integrative multidisciplinary National QI tool and, having a list of trainers for QI training on newborn care.
About NEST 360°
Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies (NEST 360°) is a global consortium committed to ensuring that every hospital in Africa can deliver life-saving care for small and sick newborns. The program is an evidence-based model for sustainable health systems change to close the gaps in technology, markets, and human resources for implementation of quality hospital-based newborn care at national scale.
In Tanzania, the program works with the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children to improve the quality of comprehensive newborn care units as stipulated in the National guideline for neonatal care and establishment of neonatal care units.
Phase One of the program started in four tertiary hospitals (Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre hospital, Mbeya Zonal Referral hospital and Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH Upanga), Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH Mloganzila) and three regional referral hospitals in Dar es Salaam (Mwananyamala, Amana and Temeke Hospitals). The tertiary hospitals will be the ‘learning hubs’ to ensure mentorship and supportive supervision within the selected regions.