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Kinney M, Kumar MB, Kaboré I, Kiendrébéogo J, Waiswa P, Lawn JE. Global Financing Facility investments for vulnerable populations: content analysis regarding maternal and newborn health and stillbirths in 11 African countries, 2015 to 2019. Glob Health Action 2024; 17:2329369. [PMID: 38967540 PMCID: PMC11229757 DOI: 10.1080/16549716.2024.2329369] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Global Financing Facility (GFF) was launched in 2015 to catalyse increased domestic and external financing for reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, adolescent health, and nutrition. Half of the deaths along this continuum are neonatal deaths, stillbirths or maternal deaths; yet these topics receive the least aid financing across the continuum. OBJECTIVES To conduct a policy content analysis of maternal and newborn health (MNH), including stillbirths, in GFF country planning documents, and assess the mortality burden related to the investment. METHODS Content analysis was conducted on 24 GFF policy documents, investment cases and project appraisal documents (PADs), from 11 African countries. We used a systematic data extraction approach and applied a framework for analysis considering mindset, measures, and money for MNH interventions and mentions of mortality outcomes. We compared PAD investments to MNH-related deaths by country. RESULTS For these 11 countries, USD$1,894 million of new funds were allocated through the PADs, including USD$303 million (16%) from GFF. All documents had strong content on MNH, with particular focus on pregnancy and childbirth interventions. The investment cases commonly included comprehensive results frameworks, and PADs generally had less technical content and fewer indicators. Mortality outcomes were mentioned, especially for maternal. Stillbirths were rarely included as targets. Countries had differing approaches to funding descriptions. PAD allocations are commensurate with the burden. CONCLUSIONS The GFF country plans present a promising start in addressing MNH. Emphasising links between investments and burden, explicitly including stillbirth, and highlighting high-impact packages, as appropriate, could potentially increase impact.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mary Kinney
- School of Public Health, University of the Western Cape, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Meghan Bruce Kumar
- Department of Nursing, Midwifery and Health, Nothumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Health Systems and Research Ethics, KEMRI-Wellcome Trust Programme, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Issa Kaboré
- Operations Division, Research, Expertise and Training Department, Recherche Pour la Santé et le Développement (RESADE, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
| | - Joël Kiendrébéogo
- Department of Research, Expertise and Capacity Building, Research, Expertise and Training Department, Recherche Pour la Santé et le Développement (RESADE), Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Department of Public Health, University Joseph Ki-Zerbo, Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso
- Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Medical Faculty and University Hospital, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany
- Department of Public Health, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Peter Waiswa
- School of Public Health, Makerere University College of Health Sciences, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Joy E. Lawn
- Department of Infectious Disease Epidemiology and International Health, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Kwesiga D, Wanduru P. The road ahead for immediate kangaroo mother care in resource-constrained health systems. Lancet 2024; 403:2459-2461. [PMID: 38754456 DOI: 10.1016/s0140-6736(24)00268-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2024] [Accepted: 02/09/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Affiliation(s)
- Doris Kwesiga
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, New Mulago Hill Road, Makerere University, Kampala PO Box 7072, Uganda; Department of Women's and Children's Health, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden.
| | - Phillip Wanduru
- Department of Health Policy, Planning and Management, School of Public Health, New Mulago Hill Road, Makerere University, Kampala PO Box 7072, Uganda; Department of Global Public Health, Karolinska Institutet, Stockholm, Sweden
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Kamuyu R, Tarus A, Bundala F, Msemo G, Shamba D, Paul C, Tillya R, Murless-Collins S, Oden M, Richards-Kortum R, Powell-Jackson T, Kumar MB, Salim N, Lawn JE. Investment case for small and sick newborn care in Tanzania: systematic analyses. BMC Pediatr 2023; 23:632. [PMID: 38098013 PMCID: PMC10722687 DOI: 10.1186/s12887-023-04414-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2023] [Accepted: 11/09/2023] [Indexed: 12/17/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Small and sick newborn care (SSNC) is critical for national neonatal mortality reduction targets by 2030. Investment cases could inform implementation planning and enable coordinated resource mobilisation. We outline development of an investment case for Tanzania to estimate additional financing for scaling up SSNC to 80% of districts as part of health sector strategies to meet the country's targets. METHODS We followed five steps: (1) reviewed national targets, policies and guidelines; (2) modelled potential health benefits by increased coverage of SSNC using the Lives Saved Tool; (3) estimated setup and running costs using the Neonatal Device Planning and Costing Tool, applying two scenarios: (A) all new neonatal units and devices with optimal staffing, and (B) half new and half modifying, upgrading, or adding resources to existing neonatal units; (4) calculated budget impact and return on investment (ROI) and (5) identified potential financing opportunities. RESULTS Neonatal mortality rate was forecast to fall from 20 to 13 per 1000 live births with scale-up of SSNC, superseding the government 2025 target of 15, and close to the 2030 Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 target of <12. At 85% endline coverage, estimated cumulative lives saved were 36,600 by 2025 and 80,000 by 2030. Total incremental costs were estimated at US$166 million for scenario A (US$112 million set up and US$54 million for running costs) and US$90 million for scenario B (US$65 million setup and US$25 million for running costs). Setup costs were driven by infrastructure (83%) and running costs by human resources (60%). Cost per capita was US$0.93 and the ROI is estimated to be between US$8-12 for every dollar invested. CONCLUSIONS ROI for SSNC is higher compared to other health investments, noting many deaths averted followed by full lifespan. This is conservative since disability averted is not included. Budget impact analysis estimated a required 2.3% increase in total government health expenditure per capita from US$40.62 in 2020, which is considered affordable, and the government has already allocated additional funding. Our proposed five-step SSNC investment case has potential for other countries wanting to accelerate progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rosemary Kamuyu
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK.
| | - Alice Tarus
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Felix Bundala
- Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Section, Division of Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, Ministry of Health, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Georgina Msemo
- Global Financing Facility, the World Bank Group, Washington D.C., USA
| | - Donat Shamba
- Department of Health Systems, Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Catherine Paul
- Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, Rice University, Texas, USA
| | - Robert Tillya
- Department of Health Systems, Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
| | - Sarah Murless-Collins
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Maria Oden
- Rice360 Institute for Global Health Technologies, Rice University, Texas, USA
| | | | - Timothy Powell-Jackson
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
| | - Meghan Bruce Kumar
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
- Kenya Medical Research Institute-Wellcome Trust Research Program, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Nahya Salim
- Department of Health Systems, Impact Evaluation and Policy, Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam, United Republic of Tanzania
- Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania
| | - Joy E Lawn
- Maternal, Adolescent, Reproductive & Child Health (MARCH) Centre, London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Agravat P, Loucaides EM, Kumar MB, Howells A, García AM, Sebina I, Balanza N, Fitchett EJA, Lawn JE. Research funding for newborn health and stillbirths, 2011-20: a systematic analysis of levels and trends. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e1794-e1804. [PMID: 37858589 PMCID: PMC10603613 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00379-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2023] [Revised: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 08/03/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Worldwide, an estimated 4·4 million newborn deaths and stillbirths occurred in 2020, and 98% of these deaths occurred in low-income and middle-income countries (LMICs). We aimed to analyse new research grants for newborns and stillbirth awarded by major funders in 2019-20, and all research funding allocated to LMIC-based institutions in 2011-20. METHODS For this systematic analysis, we searched Dimensions, the world's largest research funding database, for grants relevant to neonatal and stillbirth research. Included grants were categorised by in-depth content analysis, with descriptive quantitative analyses by funder and recipient countries, research pipeline, topic, and year. FINDINGS Globally, in 2019-20, major funders awarded a mean annual total of US$577·1 million per year for newborn and stillbirth research (mean total of 550 grants per year). $166·3 million (28·8%) of $577·1 million was directed to small and vulnerable newborn research, but only $8·4 million (1·5%) was directed to stillbirth research. The majority of funding, $537·0 million (93·0%), was allocated to organisations based in high-income countries. Between 2011 and 2020, LMIC-based recipients were named on 1985 grants from all funders worth $486·7 million, of which $73·1 million (15·0%) was allocated to small and vulnerable newborn research and $12·0 million (2·5%) was allocated to stillbirth research. Most LMIC funding supported preclinical or observational studies ($236·8 million [48·7%] of $486·7 million), with implementation research receiving only $13·9 million (2·9%). INTERPRETATION Although investment in research related to neonatal health and stillbirths has increased between 2011 and 2020, there are marked disparities in distribution geographically, between major causes of mortality, and among research pipeline types. Stillbirth research received minimal funding in both high-income countries and LMICs, despite a similar number of deaths compared with neonates. Direct investment in LMIC-led research, especially for implementation research, could accelerate the slow global progress on stillbirth prevention and newborn survival. FUNDING None. TRANSLATIONS For the French, German and Spanish translations of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Meghan Bruce Kumar
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK; KEMRI-Wellcome Trust, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Anna Howells
- King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK
| | | | - Ismail Sebina
- QIMR Berghofer Medical Research Institute, Herston, QLD, Australia
| | - Núria Balanza
- ISGlobal, Hospital Clínic - Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
| | | | - Joy E Lawn
- London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, London, UK
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Middleton PF. Donor aid and research funding for newborn babies and preventing stillbirths. Lancet Glob Health 2023; 11:e1678-e1679. [PMID: 37858576 DOI: 10.1016/s2214-109x(23)00459-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Philippa F Middleton
- School of Medicine, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia; South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
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