Evaluation of the project that aims to improve the health of the most vulnerable in Myanmar

Title Myanmar: Improving the health of the most vulnerable

Lcation Magway region – in Nimbu and Natauk townships – and Tanintharyi region – in Kawthaung township

Duration 2021/2022

Partners Progetto Continenti, MedAcross

Funding Intesa San Paolo

 

Background

Worldwide, more than a quarter of women who die during pregnancy from preventable causes live in South and South-East Asia. Although in the south-eastern countries   significant progress have made in reducing maternal mortality and neonatal mortality, there are still major disparities in maternal and child care coverage rates and, in particular, poorer populations living in rural areas lag far behind in access to care.

In Myanmar, maternal mortality is still high, with 250 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births, and socio-economic factors play a primary role in determining strong inequalities in maternal and newborn health.

Following the recent coup d’état on 1 February 2021, the country is experiencing serious political instability. This situation has serious repercussions on the entire population, and specifically, there is a risk of worsening living conditions for the already fragile population groups living in rural regions.

 

General Objective

The project therefore aims to improve the health conditions of pregnant women living in rural areas, through the strengthening of maternal and child health services offered at local health centres, the holding of training sessions for health personnel, and the activation of additional obstetrical care and transport services for patients with at-risk pregnancies.

The Inclusive Development and M& E and Impact Evaluation Units were involved to carry out the monitoring and final evaluation of the project.

 

Our contribution

The monitoring and evaluation methodology is based on a mixed qualitative and quantitative methods approach, which allows for the examination of objective data on project activities together with the perceptions of the beneficiaries, partners and actors involved.

Concerning the monitoring, it focused on output and result indicators identified by ARCO in agreementtogether with Progetto Continenti and MedAcross within the project’s logical framework. In addition, through remote coordination meetings (approximately every three to four months) between ARCO and Progetto Continenti and MedAcross, the project’s progress, challenges and problems were discussed, and corrective strategies identified, especially following the difficulties that arose within the National Health Service after the February 2021 coup d’état.

The final evaluation, developed from the specific objectives and expected results identified by the project, is based on a mixed-methods approach that allows the perceptions of the beneficiaries, partners and project operators to be taken into account. The analysis of the achievement of output and result indicators, as proposed in the project’s Logical Framework, is carried out through the validation of monitoring data, combined with the desk analysis of project documents, and data collected by partners during the various activities carried out.

Among the specific tools for data collection, ARCO included short questionnaires and direct interviews with the various actors involved in the project. Some examples:

1) Questionnaire to pregnant women (approximately 100 women interviewed) who use the Ante-Natal Care (ANC) services offered by the project, designed by ARCO and validated by the local medical staff of Progetto Continenti and MedAcross, to investigate satisfaction with the services offered;

2) Self-administered questionnaire to local medical staff participating in the capacity-building activities to assess the effectiveness of the training received.

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