20 APRIL 2021 – Save the Children Philippines has signed an agreement with Johnson & Johnson Philippines for the implementation of Project SUPREME to help reduce maternal and perinatal deaths in the country by improving the access and quality of intrapartum and newborn care services provided by midwives.
Project SUPREME or Strengthening Quality of Intrapartum and Newborn Care among Public and Private Health Midwives in Selected Cities and Municipalities in the National Capital Region (NCR) and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) will enhance the competency of 300 midwives, both male and female, including workload support from 1,500 community health workers in the next three years.
"When we empower midwives by improving their competencies and creating an enabling environment for their continued professional development through policy support, they will be able to perform their role better in the safer delivery of pregnant women," said Atty. Alberto Muyot, Chief Executive Officer of Save the Children Philippines.
The project will pilot the integration of e-health solutions in the local Service Delivery Network (SDN) to hasten the patient on-boarding process and referral. It will also improve the connectivity and knowledge resource sharing of health workers within the SDN through virtual learning hubs.
“We at J&J Philippines are committed to changing the trajectory of health for all Filipinos, and this collaboration with Save the Children Philippines is a true testament to that. One of the key priorities for us in the space of community support is to improve health outcomes for mothers and children, through better access to essential healthcare and quality care so that communities and health systems can thrive,” Raghu Krishnan, President & Managing Director of J&J Philippines said.
The Quality Improvement perspectives of midwives, their supervisors and program managers will be strengthened to develop effective strategies, encourage critical thinking, promote quality-based decision-making, and strengthen engagement and accountability of the local government.
Project SUPREME is funded by Johnson & Johnson Philippines, and Johnson & Johnson Global Community Impact Fund at Give2Asia.
“We are grateful for the unwavering support of our longtime partner J&J Philippines in upholding our advocacy to ensure that no mother or child will die of preventable causes during and after childbirth," added Muyot.
The said project aligns with Republic Act 11148 “Kalusugan at Nutrisyon ng Magnanay Act” or First 1000 Days Law enacted in 2018 to scale up nutrition intervention programs in the first 1000 days of a child’s life, and address malnutrition of infants and young children from 0-2 years old, adolescent females, pregnant and lactating women, to ensure growth and development of infants and young children.
In line with Save the Children Philippines’ 40th anniversary, the Memorandum of Agreement/ Deed of Donation signing and grant turnover was graced by the presence of Save the Children Philippines Chief Business Development Officer Naida Pasion, J&J Philippines President and Managing Director Raghu Krishnan, Communication and Public Affairs Lead Ana Ysabel Ongpin, and Health Care Compliance Officer Ricardo Licsi who conducted the Health Care Business Integrity Seminar during the event.