Safe childbirth checklist
The problem
It is estimated that 4 million newborns die in the neonatal period, more than half a million mothers die in childbirth, and 3 million stillbirths occur annually. Data strongly suggest that most newborn and maternal deaths, and a large percentage of stillbirths are avoidable. A simple, effective, widely-applicable tool is urgently needed to target major causes of newborn and maternal deaths.
The WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist
The WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist builds on the success of the WHO Surgical Safety Checklist and targets the major causes of morbidity and mortality in mothers and their newborn babies around the time of delivery. It defines a core set of practical standards to enhance patient safety and includes a behaviour change package to help staff implement the checklist.
At the programme’s core is a checklist tool that helps to ensure adherence to essential childbirth practices known to be associated with improved maternal, foetal, and neonatal health. Each item is a critical action that is commonly missed but proven to reduce complications and deaths . A formal pilot study of the programme’s impact on process measures was recently conducted at a single sub-district level hospital in Southern India, with promising results. A formal report is in preparation.
Development of the Checklist Programme
Draft versions of the instrument and an associated implementation programme were developed by a large network of experts and stakeholders in maternal and perinatal health, and field tested for usability over a period of nearly six months with partners in 10 countries.
This Programme represents a collaborative effort of the WHO Departments of Patient Safety, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health, Reproductive Health and Research and Harvard School of Public Health, in addition to many other experts from around the world.
WHO anticipates a draft release of the WHO Safe Childbirth Checklist by the end of the year.