Integrated Management of Pregnancy and Childbirth (IMPAC)
The key message for maternal and perinatal health is the continuum of care and universal coverage ensuring skilled care at every birth within the context of a continuum of care. IMPAC - Integrated Management of Pregnancy and Childbirth is the package of guidelines and tools which respond to key areas of maternal and perinatal health programmes and is central to the Department's technical assistance activities to support countries in strategic and systematic ways to improve maternal, perinatal and newborn health. IMPAC offers a framework in which national policies, programmes and action plans can be elaborated.
Different factors that are crucial for the access to skilled care before, during and after pregnancy and childbirth are addressed. It targets health systems, health workers, as well as health promotion.
Health systems
On the health systems level, the approach aims at improving not only the access to, but also the quality of essential and emergency care. This objective involves national health policy as well as district level management of infrastructure, supplies and financing. Furthermore it includes the assessment of local needs and surveillance of health system performance.
Health workers
To improve the skills and competencies of health care workers is the second strategy of the IMPAC approach. The Department provides clinical guidelines for care before, during and after birth. It also cooperates with other health programmes to integrate further services into antenatal care, as for example the prevention of HIV mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) or malaria treatment.
Health Promotion
Different factors determine why women do not reach skilled care during pregnancy, childbirth and after birth including quality and availability of services as well as costs, distance, available transport, family decision-making processes and lack of support. To better respond to women and newborn's health needs and to increase the utilization of available health services, programmes need to implement interventions to improve health in the home and to involve women, families and community actors, including other sectors, to identify key problems and solutions to reaching care.
Graph visualizing the different targets of IMPAC: health systems, health workers skills, and health promotion
Documents
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Beyond the numbers
Reviewing maternal deaths and complications to make pregnancy safer - Guidelines for monitoring the availability and use of obstetric services
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Pregnancy, childbirth, postpartum and newborn care
A guide for essential practice -
Managing complications in pregnancy and childbirth
A guide for midwives and doctors -
Managing newborn problems
A guide for doctors, nurses and midwives -
Midwifery education modules
Education material for teachers of midwifery - Mother-Baby Package: Implementing safe motherhood in countries
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Obstetric fistula
Guiding principles for clinical management and programme development -
Standards for maternal and newborn health
Group 1: General standards of care for healthy pregnancy and childbirth - Strengthening midwifery toolkit
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WHO recommended interventions for improving maternal and newborn health
Integrated management of pregnancy and childbirth - Working with individuals, families and communities to improve maternal and newborn health