Impact of the Safe Childbirth Checklist in Luapula Province of Zambia Province of Zambia

Impact of the Safe Childbirth Checklist on Health Worker Childbirth Practices in Luapula Province of Zambia

This study would like to determine if the introduction of the Safe Childbirth Checklist and associated mentorship can improve the adherence of skilled birth attendants (SBAs) to the essential practices of childbirth delivery.

This study will use a pre-post study design to measure health worker adherence to the essential practices for delivery care outlined in the Safe Childbirth Checklist (SCC). The intervention, including the introduction of the SCC and mentorship visits to support uptake, will be tested in four purposively selected health facilities in Nchelenge District, Luapula Province of Zambia. Since the essential delivery care practices outlined in the SCC are evidence-based practices broadly accepted to support positive clinical outcomes for mothers and infants, this evaluation will focus on adherence to the checklist rather than on patient outcomes. Data will be collected through observations of skilled birth attendants assisting with childbirth delivery before the start of the intervention and again at 3 months and 6 months post-intervention. A health worker questionnaire will be administered at the time that the SCC is introduced and six months later to gather their perspectives on incorporating the SCC into clinical practice in Zambia.

Inclusion Criteria:

• For facility observations, all consecutive deliveries will be observed. If a pregnant woman or health worker declines to participate in the consent process, no observations will be recorded.

Exclusion Criteria:

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