By Ibrahim Sorie Koroma
The Ministry of Health, in collaboration with its partners, will introduce the maternal and child health handbook in the health system in 2025, replacing the Maternal Book for Antenatal Care (ANC) and Child Under-fives Card. This is according to Chief Nursing Officer Matron Mary Fullah in the Ministry of Health. This was revealed at a maternal and child health review meeting held in Bo.
Giving the purpose of the handbook, Matron Fullah noted that the maternal and child health handbook is to strengthen the link between maternal and child health from pregnancy up to five years old, as well as increase knowledge of parents (mothers & fathers) through health education, including encouraging better and responsible parenting and promotion of continuum of care. She reiterated that the goal is also to share vital information on referrals, improve communication between clients and service providers, as well as improve the work efficiency of healthcare workers.
While highlighting key components of the handbook, the Chief Nursing Officer continued that the handbook consists of maternal and child health, as well as health education messages/information for clients (parents and caregivers). “In a nutshell, the handbook would capture vital health records of both the mother and child, replacing the ANC card, Tetanus Toxoid-TT Card, and Under-5s card with expanded easy-to-read and pictorial health education messages/information and graphic pictures for better understanding by clients (parents/caregivers)”.
Matron Fullah also added that the handbook had been introduced in many countries, including Japan and other African countries, and has worked well, adding that it was also piloted in three districts in Sierra Leone, in which lessons learned and success stories utilised to inform the final and approved version of the handbook, which would be widely distributed and in use across the country.
Talking digitalisation, the Ministry of Health is also planning to digitalise the would-be introduced handbook in the future but however, stated that the paper-based would be in use until such a time when the necessary infrastructure would have been put in place for smooth and easy use of the system by healthcare workers. “Even Japan, which is a model in the implementation of the maternal and child health handbook, was using the analogue/paper-based version, but later introduced the digitalised version, and both are being used side-by-side,” Said Matron Fullah.
