Measuring maternal near-miss in a middle-income country: assessing the use of WHO and sub-Saharan Africa maternal near-miss criteria in Namibia.

: Namibia, a middle-income country in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), plans to use the Maternal Near Miss (MNM) approach. Adaptations of the World Health Organization (WHO) MNM defining criteria ('WHO MNM criteria') were previously proposed for low-income settings in sub-Saharan Africa ('SSA MNM criteria'), but whether these adaptations are required in middle-income settings is unknown. : To establish MNM criteria suitable for use in Namibia, a middle-income country in SSA.

Prospective Observational Study of Intraoperative Anesthetic Events in District Hospitals in Namibia.

Background: Access to safe surgery and anesthesia care is grossly inadequate in low- and middle-income countries, with a shortage of anesthesia providers contributing to this crisis. In Namibia, medical officers typically receive no >3 months of informal training in anesthesia. This study sought to determine the prevalence, currently unknown, of intraoperative adverse anesthetic events in this setting.

How to Integrate HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health Services in Namibia, the Epako Clinic Case Study.

Introduction: During the past two decades, HIV and Sexual and Reproductive Health services in Namibia have been provided in silos, with high fragmentation. As a consequence of this, quality and efficiency of services in Primary Health Care has been compromised.

Methods: We conducted an operational research (observational pre-post study) in a public health facility in Namibia.

Implementing the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist: lessons learnt on a quality improvement initiative to improve mother and newborn care at Gobabis District Hospital, Namibia.

Although there are many evidence-based practices that reduce the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality around the time of birth, there remains a gap between what is known and the care received. This know-do gap is a source of preventable maternal and perinatal deaths and is the focus of improvement efforts in many countries. Following an increase in perinatal and maternal deaths, Gobabis District Hospital initiated a quality improvement (QI) initiative to increase adherence to these WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC)-targeted essential birth practices (EBPs).