Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on antenatal care for a positive pregnancy experience
Year of Publication2016
Issuing InstitutionWHO
Recommendation
Status
Updated
Context specific recommendation
Only in specific contexts
Certainty of evidence
Low
The implementation of community mobilization through facilitated participatory learning and action (PLA) cycles with women’s groups is recommended to improve maternal and newborn health, particularly in rural settings with low access to health services. Participatory women’s groups represent an opportunity for women to discuss their needs during pregnancy, including barriers to reaching care, and to increase support to pregnant women.
Notes and Remarks
- 1.Part of this recommendation was integrated from WHO recommendations on community mobilization through facilitated participatory learning and action cycles with women’s groups for maternal and newborn health (2014)
- 2.The pathways of influence of this multifaceted, context-specific intervention on maternal and newborn outcomes are difficult to assess. Women meeting to identify their needs and seek solutions plays an important role; mechanisms related to additional activities that are organized based on the solutions identified at the meetings may also play a role.
- 3.Detailed information and guidance related to the recommendation, including important implementation considerations, can be found in the 2014 WHO recommendations on PLA cycles, available at: http://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/documents/community-mobilization-maternalnewborn/ en/