Scaling-up the All Babies Count programme to eliminate preventable neonatal deaths in Rwanda: experiences midway through implementation

Abstract

Background Rwanda has made significant reductions in child mortality; however, reductions in neonatal deaths have been slower. Despite near universal facility-based delivery, about half of neonatal deaths occur within 48 h of birth in health facilities. All Babies Count is an evidence-based 18-month change acceleration process that provides neonatal equipment and supplies, neonatal training and mentoring, and district-wide quarterly learning collaborative sessions to promote peer-to-peer learning and continuous quality improvement in interprofessional teams. The Rwanda Ministry of Health and Partners In Health are scaling-up All Babies Count to facilities in seven hospital catchment areas to improve quality of care and reduce neonatal mortality. This study describes the first year of implementation.

Sustainability Assessment of a District-Wide Quality Improvement on Newborn Care Program in Rural Rwanda: A Mixed-Method Study

“…Given high rates of facility delivery and that 90% of neonatal deaths occur within the first 48 hours after birth, facility-focused interventions will play a critical role in reducing neonatal mortality. The Rwandan government, together with Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima (PIH/IMB), a non-profit organization working in Rwanda since 2005, designed and implemented "All Babies Count" (ABC), a district-wide quality improvement program to eliminate preventable neonatal deaths in two districts in the Eastern Province of the country [7,8]. The ABC intervention package included neonatal care provider trainings, limited equipment support, clinical mentorship and quality improvement (QI) coaching, and the establishment of districtwide QI learning collaboratives (Figure 1).…”