BALTIMORE, MD. (October 1, 2019) – The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s 2019 Goalkeepers Report, a yearly compendium of foundation-supported programs that show progress in reaching the Sustainable Development Goals, highlights Jhpiego’s innovative work in delivering prenatal care to women in group settings and engaging their partners in a family’s health.
The Goalkeepers report featured Jhpiego’s group antenatal care model in Nigeria and Kenya, which “is reimagining the way pregnant women interact with the health system.”
“Jhpiego invited groups of 15–20 women at similar stages of pregnancy to attend a series of two- hour group antenatal sessions. They got more time (as much as 30 times more!) with a health provider who got to know them personally. What’s more, they got to know each other— and build a support network that lasted beyond the pregnancy,” the report said. “These group antenatal care (G-ANC) pilots achieved eye-popping results.”
The care was better; women felt better about their experience; and women scored higher on a measure of empowerment, the report noted.
Lindsay Grenier, a midwife and technical advisor at Jhpiego who directed a three-year study on G-ANC, told TIME.com, “The structure and content of the group care model leads to improved relationships, better health literacy, and better clinical care.”
For health providers, G-ANC “makes their job more enjoyable and fulfilling,” Grenier said. “They can talk about things once and in-depth. They feel like they’re having a bigger impact, and it’s less tiring for them.” And that’s what makes the approach sustainable.
Jhpiego has introduced G-ANC in Afghanistan and plans projects in Benin, Ethiopia, India and Tanzania.
For more information, contact Ann LoLordo, (443) 831-3834, ann.lolordo@jhpiego.org. Visit www.jhpiego.org
