Report Summaries.......................................
A positive
postnatalexperience:
World HealthOrganization
recommendations
This is a summary of the following report:
World Health Organization (2022) WHO
recommendations on maternal and newborncare for a positive postnatal experience
https://www.who.int/publications/i/ite
m/9789240045989

T

he postnatal period – defined by theWorld Health Organization (WHO)as beginning immediately after birthand extending up to six weeks later –is a critical window not only for newborns but
also their mothers, caregivers, and extended
families. However, maternal and neonatal mortality remains high globally and, despite improvements over the last few decades, morework is needed to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals on reproductive, maternal andchild health. This guidance aims to improve thequality of essential, routine postnatal care forwomen and newborns by targeting a “positivepostnatal experience” which is recognised as asignificant platform for improving both shortand long-term health.
This guidance highlights 63 recommendations
to improve the provision, utilisation, and experience of postnatal care. The recommendations
are grouped according to maternal care, newborncare, and health systems and health promotion
interventions. Interventions were also classified
as ‘recommended’, ‘not recommended’ or ‘recommended under certain conditions’ based on
the guidance of the Guideline Development
Group (GDG) – an international group of experts
who were assembled for the purpose of developing
this report. The guidance includes recommendations on the following nutrition interventions:
postpartum oral iron and folate supplementation;
postpartum and neonatal vitamin A supplementation; vitamin D supplementation for breastfed,term infants; and exclusive breastfeeding.
The GDG recognised that any recommendations need to be delivered within an appropriate
model of postnatal care, as well as being adapted
to the needs of different countries and local contexts, whilst also considering the individual
women, newborns, parents, caregivers, and families
involved. The GDG also noted the importanceof the WHO postnatal care model which places
the women-newborn dyad at the centre of care.
Both the postnatal care model and the broader
guidance of the GDG highlight the importanceof postnatal care during the first 24 hours afterbirth, recommending a minimum 24-hour stayafter birth in the health facility which entails
continuous care and monitoring throughout.
A breakdown of the full list of recommendations can be found in the executive summary of
the report.

74

Dying to adapt: A comparison ofAfrican healthcare spending
and climate adaptation costs
This is a summary of the following report: Tear Fund Report (2022)
Dying to Adapt: A comparison of African healthcare spending and climate adaptation costs.
https://learn.tearfund.org/en/resources/policy-reports/dying-to-adapt-acomparison-of-african-healthcare-spending-and-climate-adaptation-costsTsouthern Ethiopia, over 10,000 farmers are nowpracticing conservation agriculture, allowing crops
to be grown in dry seasons. Yet, in many cases, thefull impact of these solutions is being held back by
a lack of finance.

Eleven countries in sub-Saharan Africa, witha total population of over 350 million people,
now face climate adaptation costs that exceed
their national spend on healthcare – over fourtimes more in the most vulnerable country (Eritrea). These nations include Cameroon, Cape
Verde, Chad, Republic of Congo, the Democratic
Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Madagascar,Mali, Mauritania, and Sudan.

In 2009, world leaders promised to deliver
US$100 billion a year from 2020 to 2025 to support
low-income countries and communities to mitigate
and adapt to climate change. Yet, despite many
repetitions of this pledge, in 2022 this promise
has still not been fully met. Of the funding thathas been delivered, most has arrived in the formof loans rather than grants, adding to national
debts that have already grown rapidly because ofthe COVID-19 pandemic.

The scale of climate adaptation needs continues
to grow, but it is estimated that low-income countries
are currently receiving as little as 10% of what theyrequire for adaptation from international climate
finance. Urgent action is needed to ensure that climate-vulnerable countries can protect themselvesin advance of worsening climate shocks. In themeantime, innovative climate solutions, such as
solar-powered wells and sustainably oriented farming
practices, are being developed by those communities
most affected by climate change. For example, inFunding to support climate resilience in thisparticularly vulnerable region is long overdue.
Delivering this promised finance is key to rebuilding
trust in climate vulnerable communities and alleviating their suffering. Not only that, but investment in this area may offer tremendous impact
where climate finance enables sustainable solutions
that could unleash the great economic and innovative potential that already exists in climate-vulnerable communities, allowing them to lift themselves out of poverty.

he climate crisis is a global challenge,
yet its costs and impacts are disproportionately felt by people living inpoverty in low-income countries, those
who did the least to cause it and have the fewest
resources to respond to it.

Multiple micronutrient supplementation
to improve the quality of nutrition
care and prevent low birthweightThis is a summary of the following report: UNICEF (2022) Multiple
Micronutrient Supplementation: An approach to improving the qualityof nutrition care for mothers and preventing low birthweight.
https://www.unicef.org/media/123271/fileWomen across the globe consumepoor-quality diets that fail to meettheir nutrient requirements andput them at risk of micronutrient
deficiencies. Those who suffer from anaemia during pregnancy are twice as likely to die during, orshortly after, pregnancy. Being born to an undernourished and anaemic mother also puts infants
at risk of low birthweight and of subsequent wasting, stunting and developmental delays.
Multiple micronutrient supplementation (MMS)
is a safe and effective strategy to improve maternal
nutritional status during pregnancy, demonstrating
greater benefits for reducing anaemia and preventing
low birthweight than iron and folic acid alone. Aspart of its 2020-2030 Nutrition Strategy, UNICEF
aims to support national MMS scale up.
This advocacy brief was released in early 2022
to garner support for, and commitment to, theFIELD EXCHANGE ISSUE 68, Dec 2022 www.ennonline.net/fex

introduction and scale upof MMS at country level. In addition to being
good value for money, the brief highlights how
scaling up MMS provides opportunities tostrengthen the integration and delivery of essential
nutrition services in antenatal care, using MMS
as a key indicator of quality of care alongsidecounselling; promote social equality through universal access to MMS; and enhance affordability,
programme ownership and national economies
through local supplement production.
To support the introduction and scale up ofMMS, UNICEF is advocating for its inclusion innational policies, strategies, guidelines, andbudgets, as well as supporting national coordination
mechanisms. Technical assistance is also provided
to generate evidence to inform the effective implementation and local production of MMS, whileworking to expand global supply chains andensure robust quality control mechanisms.