Both maternal and child mortality rates in West Africa are among the highest in the world where outdated clinical, social, and cultural norms create obstacles to quality maternity services. It is estimated that for every woman who dies as a result of childbirth, at least thirty others are severely incapacitated from fistulae, chronic pelvic pain, and infertility. Poor sanitation and nutrition, along with inefficient health service management, put young children at risk of easily preventable illnesses. These factors decrease productivity of families and hinder growth of children into healthy adults

The Action for West Africa in Reproductive Health (AWARE-RH) Project implemented by EngenderHealth, increases the availability and use of proven life-saving interventions that address the major killers of mothers and children, including integrated management of childhood illness, effective maternity care and management of obstetric complications. The program assists in the development and adoption of enabling policies for service access across the region. Pro-active promotion of best practices in maternity care and integrated models to manage childhood illness will leverage other donor resources and multiply the reach of improved service delivery approaches in the region (for example multiplying maternity care models by UNICEF, the Health Ministry and other donors in Cameroun).

The Vitamin A Fortified Cooking Oil Project, implemented by Helen Keller International (HKI) will reduce infant and child mortality in West African Economic and Monetary Union (WAEMU) region due to Vitamin A Deficiency (VAD).

Support to this public - private sector partnership will ensure that 70% of women and children in the WAEMU zone consume at least 30% of the recommended daily allowance of VA by ensuring that all cooking oil produced and imported into the region is VA fortified. This entails developing region wide directives and norms for VA fortification of all cooking oil, capacity building of public and private sector partners to sustain VA fortification, and developing a public sector marketing campaign. It is projected that the program will help avert 105,000 child deaths per year (roughly 24%) from among the regional target population of over 85 million people in 7 countries.

The West Africa Health Organization (WAHO) is the health arm of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), and is uniquely mandated to promote high regional health standards, and ensure harmonization of policies, pooling of resources and the promotion of international collaboration to combat regional health challenges. WAHO's ability to leverage broad-reaching health system improvements and progressive policy throughout the entire regional are un-matched in the region. With support, WAHO will successfully advocate for improved policies and national protocols among the 15 ECOWAS member state parliamentarians and health ministers. This network will adopt WAHO recommendations on best practices and key policies, including decreasing regional trade barriers to mosquito nets, and cross-border cooperation on infectious disease control. WAHO will be able to independently generate technical information and interventions necessary to lead the ECOWAS network in enlightened health policy, essential systems development and provide sustainable technical support to health ministries to ensure continued improvements in health programs.

Key USAID/West Africa implementing partners in maternal and child health.

AWARE-Reproductive Health project

• http://www.engenderhealth.org/projects/aware/main.html
  
  
• Helen Keller International
  http://www.hki.org/
  
  
• West African Health Organization (WAHO)
  http://www.wahooas.org/anglais/index.php