8 Topics
5 Days
24 Sessions
Programme Overview
Training Description
Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH) training is essential for multidisciplinary healthcare teams operating across community health centers, maternity wards, pediatric units, and public health systems:
• Maternal & Reproductive Health Clinicians: Obstetricians, gynecologists, midwives, general practitioners, and nurse-practitioners managing prenatal, intrapartum, and postpartum care.
• Newborn & Pediatric Specialists: Neonatologists, pediatricians, neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) nurses, and pediatric clinical officers.
• Nursing & Midwifery Staff: Registered nurses, auxiliary nurse-midwives, and nursing students responsible for labor and delivery support and postnatal monitoring.
• Community Health Workers & Public Health Teams: Public health officers, outreach coordinators, community health volunteers, and health educators managing preventative child health campaigns.
• Support & Emergency Personnel: Ambulance crews, triage nurses, and hospital administrators managing obstetric and neonatal emergency response pathways.
Session Objectives
- Apply evidence-based guidelines for antenatal, intrapartum, and postnatal care to promote healthy pregnancies and reduce maternal mortality.
- Identify and manage obstetric emergencies (such as postpartum hemorrhage, pre-eclampsia/eclampsia, and obstructed labor) through rapid clinical intervention.
- Execute essential newborn care protocols, including immediate thermal care, hygienic cord care, and initiation of breastfeeding within the first hour of life.
- Perform neonatal resuscitation techniques (such as the Helping Babies Breathe algorithms) for newborns requiring breathing assistance at birth.
About the Course
Welcome to the training on Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health (MNCH).
The health of mothers, newborns, and children is widely considered the truest barometer of a society's overall development and the resilience of its healthcare system. Globally, millions of women and children still experience preventable morbidity and mortality each year due to complications related to pregnancy, childbirth, and early childhood illnesses.
Maternal, Newborn, and Child Health is an interconnected continuum of care. A healthy pregnancy relies on quality antenatal services; a safe delivery protects both mother and newborn during the highest-risk window; and early childhood care ensures that surviving children thrive developmentally through adequate nutrition, immunization, and disease prevention.
Why This Training Matters
Most maternal and neonatal deaths are entirely preventable with timely, high-quality clinical interventions and smooth emergency referral systems. Traditional training often isolates these domains, but modern public health and clinical practice demand an integrated approach where maternal and child outcomes are viewed as inseparable.
By the end of this program, participants will possess the clinical proficiency, emergency response readiness, and preventative strategies needed to safeguard the most vulnerable populations in healthcare.
Curriculum & Topics
8 Topics | 24 Sessions
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Workshop 1.1:
Core components of routine Antenatal Care (ANC) schedules and risk screening.
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Workshop 1.2:
Nutritional support, tetanus toxoid vaccination, and prevention/treatment of malaria and anemia in pregnancy.
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Workshop 1.3:
Postnatal care (PNC) monitoring for mothers: assessing involution, lochia, mental health, and contraception counseling.
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Workshop 2.1:
Recognizing and treating hypertensive disorders of pregnancy (gestational hypertension, pre-eclampsia, and eclampsia/magnesium sulfate protocols).
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Workshop 2.2:
Prevention, active management of the third stage of labor (AMTSL), and emergency treatment of Postpartum Hemorrhage (PPH).
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Workshop 2.3:
Managing shoulder dystocia, sepsis, and complicated labor progressions.
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Workshop 3.1:
Monitoring labor progress using the WHO Partograph to identify prolonged or obstructed labor early.
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Workshop 3.2:
Infection control and clean delivery practices in maternity wards.
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Workshop 3.3:
Pain management and supportive care during normal labor and delivery.
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Workshop 4.1:
Routine care at birth: immediate drying, thermal regulation, delayed cord clamping, and skin-to-skin contact.
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Workshop 4.2:
Newborn prophylactic treatments (eye prophylaxis, vitamin K administration).
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Workshop 4.3:
Neonatal resuscitation protocols ("Helping Babies Breathe"): clearing airways, stimulating, and providing positive pressure ventilation (PPV) for non-breathing infants.
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Workshop 5.1:
Identifying and managing neonatal hypothermia, hypoglycemia, and neonatal jaundice.
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Workshop 5.2:
Care for preterm and low-birth-weight infants, including Kangaroo Mother Care (KMC) implementation.
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Workshop 5.3:
Recognizing signs of early-onset neonatal sepsis and initiating antimicrobial therapy.
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Workshop 6.1:
The IMCI clinical assessment algorithm for infants and children (ages 2 months to 5 years).
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Workshop 6.2:
Assessing and managing major childhood killers: acute respiratory infections (pneumonia), dehydration from diarrhea, malaria, and measles.
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Workshop 6.3:
Nutritional assessments: identifying severe acute malnutrition (SAM) and moderate acute malnutrition (MAM).
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Workshop 7.1:
The Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI): vaccine schedules, cold chain management, and catch-up strategies.
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Workshop 7.2:
Monitoring childhood developmental milestones and growth charts.
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Workshop 7.3:
Micronutrient supplementation (vitamin A, iron, zinc) and promotion of exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months.
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Workshop 8.1:
Bridging facility care with community health workers (CHWs) for household-level health education.
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Workshop 8.2:
Strengthening emergency referral networks (transport, communication) between primary clinics and referral hospitals.
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Workshop 8.3:
Addressing gender equity, cultural beliefs, and financial barriers to improve maternal and child health-seeking behaviors.
