This document proposes innovations to improve maternal and child health in Nigeria. It discusses using technology like GPS to track quality processes, following patients longitudinally, and cascading mental health training. Specific innovations proposed are computerized record keeping, linking primary health clinics to care centers, establishing community health liaisons, and conducting home visits. The document discusses aligning communities, health systems, and primary care workers through training and committees. It proposes budgets, plans, and policy work to scale up and ensure sustainability of innovations like integrating mental health into primary care.

1. Innovating for Maternal and Child Health
Nigerian Teams

2. What is innovation?
What are the Proposed Innovations
• Introducing something new or using something that already exists in a different way to achieve a set
of objectives
• Innovation can be evolutionary (continuous) or revolutionary (discontinuous)
• Innovation is synonymous with risk-taking

3. IRTs
What are the Proposed Innovations
(i) Use of Technology to Check the Quality of the Processes (GPS, time tracking)
(ii) Ability to follow the children and the spouse as a cohort
• Costs, time recording, checklist
(iii) Cascade Training for Mental Health
• depression attitude questionnaire, measuring knowledge, INACT tool, fidelity to the training protocol
(i) Evaluation of the Effectiveness WHO Mental Health Gap Action Program Interventions Guide (MHGAP-IG)
(i) Establishment of Community PHC liaison Within Community
• Committee action plans, meetings of the committee
(i) PHC Home Visits
• Daily records, number of meetings, number of women reached through visits
(i) Computerized Record Keeping at the PHC Level
• Number of women who are using health facilities
(i) Linkage of PHC to Care Centers
• Number of meeting held, number of support provided

4. Innovation is disruptive
Interested parties and how to align
• Community and health system (pregnant women and their spouses)
• Technology is a key to align the parties
• Primary health care workers and providers
• Align them through training and supervision
• PHC workers and Community gate keepers
• Project Implementation Committee

5. What Mechanisms?
• Create budget line for the Home Visits Program
• Develop Concept Paper
• Develop a work plan to scale-up
• Ensure Mental Health is an Important Component of PHC
• Working in LGAs and the plan is to Scale-up
• MOU – Executive Secretary
• Focus Heavily on dissemination and Advocacy
• Summary Reports and Policy Brief
• Engage Policy Makers Continuously
• Already got additional funding – Need to look for more support outside IDRC
Sustainability and Scale up

6. Commitments
Next Steps
• Commitment for each IRT to invite others for major programs and share information
• Get HPROs involved
• National Technical Committees