Ending preventable maternal, newborn and child mortality: regional technical advisory group meeting. Recommendations and report, December 2015

Abstract

Under the Regional Flagship project on ending preventable maternal and childmortality with a focus on reducing newborn mortality, the WHO Regional Directorfor South-East Asia has appointed the Technical Advisory Group (‎SEAR-TAG)‎ toprovide guidance to national governments, implementing partners and otherstakeholders on how best to accelerate implementation of strategies, and monitorthese. The inaugural meeting of SEAR-TAG was organized on 15-18 December 2015to evolve a shared understanding of priorities, challenges and high impactapproaches for reducing newborn mortality. The focus on addressing the issue highnewborn mortality through the global approach of every newborn action plan willhave additional benefits of reduction in maternal mortality and stillbirths.All twelve SEAR-TAG members, RMNCAH nodal persons from the ministries ofhealth from Member States, representatives of UN agencies and other partners,INGOS and NGOs, representatives of Professional associations (‎Pediatrics,Neonatology and Obstetrics)‎ and WHO Collaborating Centres participated in themeeting.There were deliberations to examine and identify ways to address three areas:coverage and equity gap in terms of low and uneven coverage of evidence-basedinterventions; quality gap in terms of inadequate quality of care; and anaccountability gap in terms incomplete registration of births and deaths of mothersand newborns as well as stillbirths. The report provides the summary of proceedingsof the SEAR-TAG meeting and the recommendations.