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Group partner with Lagos State Health Scheme to launch project for pregnant women

Group partner with Lagos State Health Scheme to launch project for pregnant women

PharmAccess Foundation, in partnership with Merck Sharp Dohme (MSD) for Mothers, and the Lagos State Health Management Agency (LASHMA), has launched the MomCare (Smart Contracts for Maternity Care) Project.

MomCare is an innovative, digital, and interactive financing approach to better quality care for pregnant women.

This combines SafeCare certification and benchmarking providers, with LASHMA IT Platform and Mother Journey (a mobile application to track pregnant women along the care process).

The objectives of MomCare are to improve access and uptake of quality reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) services under Lagos State Health Scheme (LSHS) and also to improve the quality of maternal and newborn health care using SafeCare quality improvement methodology.

Speaking on the project, the country director of PharmAccess Foundation Nigeria, Njide Ndili, said MomCare was developed to help track a mother’s journey through her pregnancy to ensure that she gets the adequate help she needs and at the time she needs it.

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She said it is a service that innovates at the nexus of health care, finance, and technology to bring better access and quality healthcare to expectant mothers.

Ade Alakija, board chairman, LASHMA, in his opening remarks, mentioned that in a bid to continually increase the number of enrollees and improve the quality of care provided on the scheme, LASHMA has continued to explore partnerships with international and local development organizations, one of which has facilitated the introduction of the MomCare programme through the Lagos State Health Scheme.

He said MomCare will use digital technology and data to track the journey of pregnant women throughout the maternal care period to ensure safe pregnancy and delivery and reduce maternal and neonatal mortality.

He reiterated LASHMA’s commitment to working with PharmAccess Foundation and MSD for Mothers, to bring to reality the possibilities that MomCare provides.

In her opening speech, the Nigerian director of MSD for Mothers, Iyadunni Olubode, said that safe delivery is a fundamental right of every Nigerian woman and a collective right.

She emphasized that the private sector must be supported by the private sector via a special innovative fund to ensure better health outcomes. She also added that MSD for Mothers is proud to work with PharmAccess Foundation and Lagos State Health Management Agency.

PharmAccess quality director, Ibironke Dada, while speaking also, mentioned that MomCare will improve access and uptake of quality RMNCH services under LSHS.

Dada added that MomCare will stimulate enrolment on the LSHS and catalyze local and international donor funding for RMNCH services.

The event was attended by stakeholders in the health sector.