NEWBORN HEALTH IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INTEGRATED MATERNAL NEWBORN AND CHILD HEALTH STRATEGY (REVISED 2ND EDITION, 2011)
Strategy · Health
Policy date: 2014-01-01
A Strategy integrates newborn health into Nigeria's maternal, newborn, and child health framework to reduce neonatal mortality through coordinated service delivery. It targets maternity care providers, primary healthcare workers, and state health ministries. This ensures a continuum of care from preconception to the first 28 days of life.
NEWBORN HEALTH IN THE CONTEXT OF THE INTEGRATED MATERNAL NEWBORN AND CHILD HEALTH STRATEGY (REVISED 2ND EDITION, 2011)
What Is This Policy?
Nigeria's integrated strategy for newborn health within the broader maternal, newborn, and child health framework, providing a comprehensive approach to reducing neonatal mortality through integrated service delivery.
Who Does It Target?
Maternity and neonatal care providers PHC workers delivering newborn care State Ministries of Health UNICEF and WHO as technical partners
What Does It Aim to Achieve?
Reduce neonatal mortality in Nigeria by integrating newborn care into the health system continuum from preconception through the first 28 days of life.
Key Features
Continuum of Care: Addresses newborn care within the full continuum from antenatal to postnatal care. Essential Newborn Care: Prescribes the package of essential care at birth including cord care, warming, and breastfeeding. Sick Newborn Management: Provides guidance on managing common newborn conditions including sepsis and asphyxia. Community Level: Integrates community-based postnatal care visits for newborns into the strategy.
Current Status
Rollout Stage: Active (updated by ENAP 2014 and subsequent plans) Coverage: Nationwide maternal and newborn care Beneficiaries: Newborns; mothers; families Funding: Federal Government; UNICEF; WHO
How to Access
Healthcare workers: use as clinical reference for newborn care Facility managers: ensure implementation of essential newborn care protocols Mothers: attend all postnatal care visits within 48 hours, 7 days, and 6 weeks of birth Application method: Access at https://www.health.gov.ng
Important Terms
The revised 2011 edition updated the original IMNCH strategy to reflect new evidence Subsequent plans (ENAP 2014, Plan to End Preventable Newborn Deaths) provide the current strategic direction Integration of newborn care into MCH services is more efficient than standalone neonatal programmes
Official Resources
Website: https://www.health.gov.ng Contact: Federal Ministry of Health — Newborn Health Division
Legal Framework
The Newborn Health Strategy (Integrated MNCH) operates under the National Health Act 2014, the Child Rights Act 2003, and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency Act. It aligns with the WHO Every Newborn Action Plan, the SDG 3.2 target (end preventable deaths of newborns and under-5 children), the Global Strategy for Women's, Children's and Adolescents' Health, and the Nigeria Child Survival Action Plan (N-CSAP). UNICEF and PEPFAR frameworks support its financing.