Sustain Project (Safer Births)

Nepal

Through the Sustain Project, the Safer Births Bundle is being scaled up nationally in eight high-delivery hospitals in Nepal in collaboration with the Ministry of Health in Nepal.

2019-

Duration

8

Hospitals

100,000+

Births

Goal  

To improve intrapartum care through quality improvement interventions. To reduce stillbirth and neonatal death within first 24 hours of life by 25%.

Key achievements  

  • Project completed in all the eight sites with positive response from the hospitals.
  • Data analysis in progress.

What we learned

Data from the study is being validated.  Check back here for an update.

Using Moyo with patients has been easy and effective. Using fetoscope for measuring Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) was difficult, while using Moyo with mothers for FHR monitoring has been convenient. We apply NeoBeat to newborn babies who do not cry at birth or babies with birth asphyxia. Using Neobeat has helped us in early initiation of bag and mask ventilation.

Ms. Jagat Laxmi Singh, Senior staff nurse, Lumbini provincial Hospital

The team

This is an independent research team led by Dr. Ashish KC (Ashish.K.C@kbh.uu.se), Abhisekh Gurung, Dr. Prajwal Paudel, Rejina Gurung

Partners  

Golden Community, Ministry of Health and Population-Nepal, and Uppsala University. Funding by Innovation Norway, Grand Challenges Canada, and Laerdal Global Health.

Participating hospitals 

  • Koshi Hospital
  • Janakpur Hospital
  • Bharatpur Hospital
  • Lumbini Provincial Hospital
  • Bheri Hospital
  • Karnali Provincial Hospital
  • Seti Provincial Hospital
  • Dadeldhura Hospital

Publications

  • Ashish KC, Gurung R, Kinney MV, Sunny AK, Moinuddin M, Basnet O, Paudel P, Bhattarai P, Subedi K, Shrestha MP, Lawn JE. Effect of the COVID-19 pandemic response on intrapartum care, stillbirth, and neonatal mortality outcomes in Nepal: a prospective observational study. The Lancet Global Health. 2020 Oct 1;8(10):e1273-81. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/S2214-109X(20)30345-4
  • Ashish KC, Peterson SS, Gurung R, Skalkidou A, Gautam J, Malla H, Paudel P, Bhattarai K, Joshi N, Tinkari BS, Adhikari S. The perfect storm: Disruptions to institutional delivery care arising from the COVID-19 pandemic in Nepal. Journal of global health. 2021;11. DOI: https://dx.doi.org/10.7189%2Fjogh.11.05010