Evaluation of the Joint Initiative for Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Myanmar

The United Nations (UN) had supported for some years the Joint Initiative on Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (JIMNCH) – aiming to reach the most vulnerable communities in the delta region of Myanmar, supporting those most affected by Cyclone Nargis.

Burnet, in partnership with local and international researchers, led the impact evaluation of this project to document successes and guide future UN investments.

2010-2013.

Burnet’s evaluation was undertaken in 2012, with final reporting in 2013.

The evaluation found the JIMNCH program had been successful in reaching remote communities with health care, and uncovered new findings regarding the relative worth of support to emergency referrals, compared to the training of community-based staff – especially in relation to childbirth and postnatal care.

The findings were presented to the Myanmar government and other stakeholders, and used to help plan the joint United Nations program investments in maternal, newborn and child health from 2014.

The evaluation used a novel tool for social mapping developed by a senior Myanmar researcher to unpack how wealth and status affected the way families accessed services.

This work was presented at the 3rd Global Symposium on Health Systems Research in Capetown, South Africa in October 2014.