One Heart WORLDWIDE

OHW is a global NGO that has been promoting maternal and child health for the past decade. Since 2010, OHW has been working in Nepal to help the Ministry of Health (MoH) enhance maternal and newborn health care throughout all of the districts in which it has been active. There are now sixteen districts where OHW is active, and they want to add a few more in 2020.

Vision

• To improve access to, and utilization of quality healthcare services to reduce the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality in remote rural areas where mothers and their newborns are most vulnerable.

Mission

• To end all preventable deaths related to, pregnancy and childbirth worldwide.

Geographical coverage

• 13 Districts (Taplejung, Panchathar, Ilam, Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha, Bhojpur, Khotang, Okhaldhunga, Solukhumbu, Sindhupalchok, Ramechhap, Nuwakot, Dhading, Baglung, Dolpa, Dolakha)

Major Programme

When used across the whole healthcare system, the OHW "Network of Safety" approach is in a prime position to remove the obstacles that prevent women and newborns from receiving the treatment they need. In order to guarantee high-quality care for mothers and infants, it establishes a system of well-resourced healthcare facilities and educates local medical professionals. Integrating local resources and honoring cultural norms and customs are the foundations upon which the Network of Safety stands. As a result of OHW, pregnant women and infants who might not have access to medical or public healthcare are more likely to be healthy. It collaborates with local communities to find answers, empowering them to lead innovation and systemic change and take responsibility for their own communities' long-term success and sustainability. Family, community, outreach providers, skilled birth attendants, health facilities, and government are the six pillars of the Network of safety.

Family

It instructs families on how to encourage healthy pregnancies and ease the transition into parenthood by consulting a trained professional during childbirth. It also instructs them on how to spot potential threats to their pregnancy and take preventative measures.

Community

Through OHW, local people are brought into the fold and given the tools they need to grab the reins as change agents. We include community members at the grass-roots level in the program's development, launch, and upkeep through community engagement activities, focus groups, and direct collaboration with local community leaders.

Outreach Providers

In order to enroll pregnant women in prenatal care and refer them to the SBAS at the nearest certified birthing facility, the program educates local community-based volunteers and health care providers to reach out to pregnant women and their families. Furthermore, we instruct them in the identification of pregnancy-related risks and the implementation of necessary countermeasures.

Skilled Birth Attendant

It finances medical professionals in remote locations so that they can complete specialized obstetric and newborn care training. Aspects of prenatal care, such as how to spot and treat difficulties throughout pregnancy, are covered in depth. Once SBAS have completed their training, they are eligible for jobs at hospitals and other facilities approved by the government to provide maternity care.

Health Facility

Our program establishes a system of fully operational birthing facilities and aids in the delivery of essential medical resources, including infrastructure, equipment, and training for medical staff. We equip existing government healthcare institutions, including primary care clinics (health posts) and district hospitals, with the resources and expertise to offer safe and effective obstetric treatment.

Government

It has close relations with the Nepalese government at the federal and provincial levels, as well as the Palikas (municipalities) it serves. Our initiatives are meant to aid in the delivery of government-run maternal and newborn health programs by enhancing healthcare infrastructure and expanding access to qualified providers. In order to ensure that they are in line with local objectives for maternal and newborn health, they are created in collaboration with different tiers of government.

Activities in Nepal

1. Since 2010, many different organizations throughout the world have benefited from One Heart Worldwide's dissemination of the Network of Safety Model. Today, OHW's Network of Safety program can be found in 16 of Nepal's 75 districts. Over 147,000 pregnancies were served, and the program has already been transferred to local control in three districts in Nepal. It just completed its long-term (6 years) program whose goals are to; 
   • Maintain a 30% or more increase in MNH services utilization as measured by the number of SBA-attended deliveries and the number of institutional deliveries. 
   • Decrease by at least 50% both maternal mortality (measured as Maternal Mortality Ratio -MMR) and newborn mortality (measured as Neonatal Mortality Rate - NMR).
2. OHW commissions an independent research firm to perform an end-line cross-sectional survey of recent mothers in completed districts to assess the program's long-term impact. A 2019 external study done in Baglung and Dolpa found that the districts have successfully reduced mortality and increased MNH service consumption, respectively.