TABLE 1.

SMGL Sustainability Index Domains and Key Questions

DomainsPrompts/Questions for Ministry of Health Staff, Leadership, and Decision Makers at National, Provincial, and District Levels
  • Community normative change

  • Behaviors

  • Demand for quality services

  • Social norms

  • How has the % of deliveries in health facilities changed?

  • Is there a change in proper use of and demand for waiting shelters?

  • What % of women/families had a birth preparedness plan, saved money, and pre-arranged for transportation?

  • How has the use of vouchers in Uganda changed and been institutionalized?

  • What is the evidence of local customs/norms changing?

  • How has male engagement in birth planning and maternal health changed?

  • What is the sustained level of engagement of community health cadres for normative change (SMAGs in Zambia, VHTs in Uganda)?

  • Is there evidence of prolonged leadership of “change champions” in the community?

  • Governance, leadership and accountability

  • Willingness to champion change

  • Planning/coordination

  • Policies and governance

  • Civil society engagement

  • Private-sector engagement

  • Public access to information

  • Are there national or local champions that emerged from SMGL who successfully advocate for improved maternity services?

  • How has SMGL influenced changes in government policies and guidelines that are critical to long-term improvements in maternal and newborn survival?

  • At the national level, which guidelines, policies, or tools were updated? Has the implementation of policies been institutionalized at the lower level to sustain the benefits to maternal and newborn health?

  • Has the role of the community workers/VHTs in ensuring women are linked to appropriate care been institutionalized?

  • Will the role of the private sector in providing maternal and newborn health services continue after SMGL? Has the government established public–private partnerships?

  • What evidence exists of change in public access to information on maternal and newborn health at the district level or below?

  • Has the role of the community workers/VHTs in ensuring women are linked to appropriate care continued after SML?

  • Health system and service delivery

  • Service delivery

  • Human resources for health

  • Commodity security

  • Quality management

  • Have signal functions—such as newborn resuscitation, administration of anticonvulsants and oxytocics, cesarean section, and manual removal of placenta for EmONC and CEmONC—been institutionalized?

  • Has the government scaled up the district systems strengthening approach/key components of SMGL? Which components has the government picked up?

  • Has there been a transition of SMGL-supported human resources to government positions or has the government at the district level started to fund the SMGL-contracted positions? To what extent?

  • Has the government picked up the funding of lifesaving drugs such as oxytocin and commodities such as balloon tamponades or anti-shock garments to prevent and or treat postpartum hemorrhage and eclampsia?

  • Has the government institutionalized some type of district/health facility assessments/quality assurance approach to use as the basis of planning and budgeting?

  • Is the blood supply for transfusion adequate? Is fresh frozen plasma available?

  • Strategic investments, efficiency, and sustainable financing

  • Domestic resource mobilization (capital investments and recurring costs)

  • Technical and allocative efficiencies

  • Has there been an increase in domestic financial resources for maternal and newborn health in SMGL-supported districts to continue the quality of services?

  • Has the government budgeted and allocated funding for the scale-up of the SGML approach in other districts? Have they included funding considerations for both capital investments and recurring costs?

  • What key components were taken to scale by the government?

  • What components of SMGL were eliminated or reduced as they were not affordable or cost-effective? Was there any study on efficiency or cost-effectiveness?

  • Did SMGL influence planning of Ministry of Health resources or improve technical/allocative efficiencies?

  • Strategic information

  • Epidemiological and health data

  • Financial/expenditure data

  • Performance data

  • Were maternal death audits institutionalized?

  • Were data reviews institutionalized?

  • After SMGL, how are districts/facilities continuing to use data to improve maternal and newborn outcomes?

  • Abbreviations: CEmONC, comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care; EmONC, emergency obstetric and newborn care; SMAG, Safe Motherhood Action Group; SMGL, Saving Mothers, Giving Life; VHT, village health team.