Bibliographic Info
GuidelineWHO recommendations on maternal health: guidelines approved by the WHO Guidelines Review Committee, second edition. Geneva: World Health Organization; 2025
Year of Publication2023
Issuing InstitutionWorld Health Organization
Recommendation
Status
Updated
Recommended
Task shifting the distribution of recommended nutritional supplements and intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp) for malaria prevention to a broad range of cadres, including auxiliary nurses, nurses, midwives and doctors is recommended
Notes and Remarks
- 1.This recommendations has been adapted and integrated from Optimizing health worker roles to improve access to key maternal and newborn health interventions through task shifting (OptimizeMNH) (2012)
- 2.The GDG noted that, while task shifting has an important role to play in allowing flexibility in health-care delivery in low-resource settings, policy-makers need to work towards midwife-led care for all women.
- 3.Lay health workers need to be recognized and integrated into the system, and not be working alone, i.e. task shifting needs to occur within a team approach.
- 4.The mandate of all health workers involved in task shifting programmes needs to be clear.
- 5.In a separate guideline on HIV testing services, WHO recommends that lay providers who are trained and supervised can independently conduct safe and effective HIV testing using rapid tests
- 6.The GDG noted that it may be feasible to task shift antenatal ultrasound to midwives with the appropriate training, staffing, mentoring and referral systems in place.
- 7.Further research is needed on the mechanism of effect of MLCC and whether continuity of care can be task shifted.
- 8.Further information on this recommendation can be found in the OptimizeMNH guideline, available at: http://www.who.int/reproductivehealth/publications/maternal_perinatal_health/978924504843/en/