Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP) Egypt: SMART Project End Line Study

SMART (Community-based Initiatives for a Healthy Life)

Description

Maternal and Child Health Integrated Program (MCHIP): SMART Project is funded through USAID and implemented by Save the Children together with other partners. The global vision and focus of the program is to accelerate the reduction of maternal, new-born, and child mortality in 20 priority countries by increasing the use of a package of high impact maternal, new-born and child health (MNCH) interventions that address the major causes of death among mothers, new-borns and children under five. The project also addresses underlying causes of maternal and child mortality including high fertility rates and malnutrition and barriers affecting access and use of services including gender-specific barriers. Delivery strategies address barriers to access and use of these interventions along a MNCH continuum of care that links households, communities, first-level facilities, and hospitals. One of the overarching goals of the MCHIP is to contribute to the reduction of both under-five mortality and maternal mortality by 25% in the 20 high mortality-burden countries.

The objectives of the study are:

  • To evaluate the SMART program’s effect on women’s knowledge and practices related to maternal anaemia prevention, care seeking during pregnancy and new-born care before and after SMART program implementation;
  • To evaluate the SMART program’s effect on women’s knowledge and practices related to care of low-birth weight babies and treatment of sick-children before and after SMART program implementation;
  • To evaluate the SMART program’s effect on infant and young child feeding practices, before and after SMART program implementation To assess women’s and men’s knowledge and use of modern methods of birth spacing before and after SMART program implementation;
  • To evaluate the SMART program’s effect on household decision-making and gender roles affecting utilization of maternal, new-born and birth spacing and nutrition services before and after SMART program implementation;
  • To evaluate the SMART program’s effect on the quality of home visit and group counselling services provided by SMART CHW.

Services

  • Literature review: review all the project documents and other relevant reports.
  • Field team training: Carried out training programme for field research team on the quantitative and qualitative research technique, field survey implementation and management as well as quality control.
  • Data Collection: in Sharkia, Qaliubya, Beni Suef, Assiut, Qena and Sohag through:
    • Quantitative survey: implemented through interviewing 9800 of the children’s mothers and fathers.
    • Qualitative survey: consisted of semi-structured key informant interviews with about 88 fathers, mothers, grandmothers, or mother-in-law in the target governorates.
  • Data analysis: which includes: data entry and analysis of the quantitative survey through data analysis tool (SPSS); the tabulation of the data collected in the individual interviews.
  • Reporting: this includes the preparation of the inception report, preliminary report and the finalization and submission of the final report.