Inside A360: A snapshot of our latest updates

Apr 23, 2024 0 Comment Post By:Dionne Oguna

The past few months (January – April) have been bustling with activities within the A360 project.

From a vibrant global community moment to the Annual Program Review meeting, visits from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF), and an upcoming webinar series on the introduction of a new framework for quality of care.

Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve been up to lately across Kenya, Ethiopia, and Nigeria.

We invite you to read through.

For any questions and comments, please write to: [email protected]. 

GLOBAL UPDATES

  • A360 2024 Community Moment Held 

A360 held its annual global Community Moment in Kano City, Nigeria. Global and local team members from Kenya, Ethiopia, Nigeria, and the United States came together from Feb 5th to 9th 2024. The meeting featured country performance reviews, technical strategy reviews, knowledge management, and what lies ahead for the A360 project. Site visits to A360-supported primary health centres provided the teams with the opportunity to experience and gain insights into A360 Nigeria’s program in northern Nigeria, Matasa Matan Arewa (MMA) and its impact. 

 

  • A360 Annual Program Review (APR) Held in Nigeria  

A360 Nigeria hosted the 2024 Annual Program Review (APR) for the A360 project in Abuja from April 16th – 18th. The three-day meeting brought together project donors from CIFF and BMGF, global and local project managers, and Ministry of Health representatives. Conversations explored aligning project deliverables with donor expectations and government focus including a site visit to meet with the beneficiaries of the intervention and key stakeholders at the community level.  

 

  • PSI Public Sector Quality of Care (QoC) Framework Webinar and Tools 

As part of A360’s strategy to sustain value by contributing to learning, A360 and PSI’s global QoC teams will be launching PSI’s QoC in the public sector framework. This new framework is adapted from the WHO self-care QoC framework, builds on PSI’s QoC domains and standards, and incorporates the PSI approach for a mixed health system. For those interested in/focused on QoC in the public sector, the framework: 

  • Can be used to guide and align PSI staff across all health areas to promote QoC in their public sector activities. 
  • Defines QoC pillars and provides useful guidance on how to implement QoC in the public sector. 
  • Provides context and content for further funding opportunities for quality mixed health system approaches for PSI activities. 

In addition, the A360 and QoC teams plan to host a webinar series related to QoC in the public sector. Planned for May 23rd and July 17th, the first two webinars will cover integrative supportive supervision in the public sector: lessons learned across health areas and DHIS2/HQNIS government ownership and sustainability.  

Stay tuned for the official invitation. 

 

COUNTRY UPDATES

Binti Shupavu – Kenya 

  • Children’s Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) Visit

In March 2024, CIFF donors visited Kilifi County, Kenya, to interact with A360’s Binti Shupavu intervention hosted by PS Kenya. Throughout the visit, the donors directly engaged with two key touchpoints of Binti Shupavu: the Clinic and the Graduation Fest. This visit also intended to foster collaboration between A360 and organizations implementing economic empowerment programs for adolescent girls, discussing potential partnerships now and after program scale-up. The donors also held a meeting with the County Health Management Team to discuss sustainable efforts to eliminate teenage pregnancies. 

  • Binti Shupavu Fest held in Narok 

25 Girls graduated from Fountain Health Facility in Narok North. Binti Shupavu Fest is an annual celebration held to mark the achievements and milestones of girls who have participated in the program. It is an occasion where girls showcase the skills and knowledge they have acquired, celebrate their successes, and receive recognition for their efforts. The fest also serves as a platform to raise awareness about the importance of girls’ education, empowerment, and overall well-being in the community. The Director of the State Department of Gender was the chief guest. 

A360 Nigeria 

  • A360 Nigeria Celebrates Women’s Day by Inaugurating Gender Champions 

A360 Nigeria inaugurated its  State Gender Champions to align with the Gender Strategy’s implementation roadmap. The team comprises Program Assistants, Youth Innovation Officers, Quality Focal Persons, a Finance and Control Officer, and a Motor Vehicle Operator, with the goal of emphasizing gender equality and social inclusion. For A360, adolescent girls being able to define and act on their goals is core. This dynamic team is tasked with supporting the project’s gender transformation agenda.  

 

RISE Ethiopia 

  • PSI Ethiopia’s SRH Team Learning Visit to Nigeria  

In January 2024, the PSI Ethiopia SRH team, together with representatives from the Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia and the Ethiopian Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists visited the Society for Family Health Nigeria. Together, they delved into the successful implementation of the WHO self-care guidelines and the introduction of DMPA SC/SI in Nigeria. The Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare generously shared valuable insights, knowledge, and challenges. 

 

  • Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Program Launch 

In January 2024, the national launch of the new MNCH program took place in Addis Ababa, followed by regional launches. This program builds upon Smart Start/RISE, with the development of Smart Pathways, an integrated maternal health intervention developed with and by girls to support them from the preconception period through the post-natal period.

 

  • Ethiopia Donor Visit

During the week of March 25th, a high-level delegation from the Gates Foundation engaged in discussions with partners, including PSI Ethiopia, to gain insights into their activities in Ethiopia. They also held a separate meeting with PSI Ethiopia leadership to explore the impactful solutions offered by the RISE-Smart Start initiative. Earlier in the year, the Gates team visited the Afar Region to observe various activities carried out by its partners. During the visit, team had the opportunity to witness firsthand the implementation of the Smart Start approach and its transformative impact on pastoralist communities in Ethiopia. 

  

 

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