About Us

Who We Are

The Nigeria Quality of Care (QoC) program serves as a network dedicated to enhancing the quality of healthcare for Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, Adolescent, Elderly Health, and Nutrition in the country. This initiative operates in collaboration with government agencies, including the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), sub-national governments, implementing partners, and funding agencies. The collective aim is to ensure that every Nigerian citizen receives high-quality healthcare — with a particular focus on pregnant women, newborns, and children — while upholding their dignity.

The primary objective of the QoC program is to decrease maternal and newborn deaths and stillbirths within health facilities. This aligns with the global goal of the Quality, Equity, and Dignity (QED) network, which seeks to reduce maternal and newborn mortality by 50% by the year 2030. The aspiration is that the QoC initiative will enhance patients’ overall experience of care, fostering equitable and respectful healthcare services across all learning sites and, consequently, throughout all health facilities in the country.

Goals

1. To reduce maternal/newborn mortality and stillbirths in learning sites by 50% by 2030 (in line with the global QED goal).

2. To improve the experience of care.

What We Do

Under the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMoH), the RMNCAEH+N Quality of Care initiative collaborates with implementing partners in the country to advance national strategies aimed at enhancing the quality of care within the health sector. This effort is driven by four strategic objectives.

Strategic Objectives

Leadership and Coordination

1. National and sub-national governance structures for QoC are strengthened (or established) and functioning.

2. National vision, strategy and operational plan for improving quality of care in maternal and newborn health (MNH) services is developed, funded, monitored and regularly reviewed.

3. National advocacy and mobilization strategy for quality of care is developed and implemented.

Action

1. WHO evidence-based standards of care for mothers and newborns are adapted and disseminated.

2. National package of improvement interventions is adapted (or developed) and disseminated.

3. Clinical and managerial capabilities to support quality improvement are developed, strengthened and sustained.

4. Quality improvement interventions for MNH are implemented.

Learning

1. Learning systems and knowledge-sharing mechanisms are developed/strengthened for improved care.

2. Learning and knowledge are facilitated and shared through learning networks.

3. Positive health behaviours are promoted through awareness creation.

Accountability

1. Data systems are developed/strengthened to integrate and use quality of care data for improved care.

2. Data are analyzed and synthesized to generate an evidence base on quality improvement.

3. National framework and mechanisms for accountability for QoC are established and functioning.

4. Progress of the Network on MNH quality of care is regularly monitored.

5. Impact of the global initiative on MNH quality of care is evaluated.

Some QoC milestones under the four strategic objectives

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Leadership

1. Quality of care (QoC) for maternal and newborn health (MNH) developed and being implemented.
2. Supportive governance policy and structures developed and established.
3. RMNCAEH +N TWG review meeting has been holding since the country joined the network.
4. The National RMNCAEH+N QoC implementation guide has been endorsed.
5. Endorsements of additional 6 scale-up states agreed at the MEAL sub-committee meeting and another 6 states at the Q4 TWG meeting.
6. Endorsement of State reporting templates.
7. Endorsement of learning agenda as a broader part of the MEAL 2022-2027 Plan
8. Review of the National RMNCAEH+N QoC implementation Strategy.
9. Prioritization of UHC by Mr. President signing the National Health Insurance Authority into law which aims to achieve Universal Health Coverage
10. The National Quality of Care Technical Working Group (TWG) has been holding its quarterly statutory meetings when feasible. Sub-committees such as MEARL sub-committee was established in 2022 to strengthen MEARL activities.
11. The National QOC strategy was developed and approved at the National Council on Health (NCH) held in 2019

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Action

1. Adaptation of MNH QoC standards
2. Development of RMNCAEH+N QoC updated strategy which includes the adoption of the SSNB, Pediatrics & Young Adolescent standards is now available for stakeholders’ review.
3. The inclusion of the Child Death Audit component of the MPCDSR, the National MPCDSR guidelines and tools.
4. National ToT of MPCDSR Conducted.
5. RMNCAEH+N QoC MEAL Plan 2022-2027) has been endorsed by the Honourable Minister of Health.
6. National MPCDSR Electronic Platform handed over to FMOH domicile Galaxy Backbone and implementation DFH and ICT Department.
7. MPCDSR States training in 5 states (Ebonyi, Bauchi, Kebbi, Sokoto, FCT) commenced.
8. Implementation of Level 2 care for small and sick newborn including implementation research assessing the best model of care commenced in 2 General hospitals in the FCT.
9. Capacity building of selected Biomedical Engineers and Technicians across the 36 states and FCT on the use and maintenance of SSNB bundle of equipment.
10. Developed Quality Improvement (QI) training manuals with coaches trained

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Learning

1. Completed the nationwide needs assessment towards the design and development of the RMNCAEH+N QoC learning platform.
2. Co-design, develop and build the RMNCAEH+N National QoC Learning Platform to accelerate and facilitate in-country learning.
4. Conducted two webinars to stimulate and promote iterative learning among healthcare workers with 253 participants in attendance. The first was titled “Quality of Care: Raising Awareness in Service Provision and Experience of Care”. The second was titled “Advancing Improved 4. Quality of Care in Nigeria, Achievements & Next Steps.” Also held was a national discussion forum-where findings and learnings from the 5. Joint Visit/Annual Facility Assessment conducted in the states was shared.
6. Completed key informant interviews and commenced the thematic analysis for the MCGL Multi-Country Learning Project on the effectiveness of subnational quality governance approaches for continuously improving MNCH/FP/nutrition care and health outcomes in LMIC; and Effective sustainable strategies for building QI capabilities of subnational managers and facility healthcare workers.
7. Developed, launched, and disseminated the maiden edition of the RMNCAEH+N QoC Newsletter “The Buzz”. Other quarterly editions has been disseminated.
8. Engagement of research institution to facilitate the documentation and dissemination of lessons learned.
9. The RMNCAEH+N QoC TWG stakeholders agreed a set of MNCH research topics such as governance/QoC implementation status in two learning states, barriers and enablers of collection, collation and use of data for decision making at the health facility level in 4 states and identifying the barriers and enablers implementing the Respectful Maternity Care charter in two states working with four selected academic institutions across the country.
10. Partners with technical and financial support for the implementation of QoC at national and sub-national levels

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Accountability

1. Common set of MNH QoC indicators agreed upon for reporting from the learning site.
2. Baseline assessment conducted for the MNH common indicators from the learning sites.
3. Common indicators data collected, used in learning meetings, and reported to the global network.
4. Standardized reporting using RMNCAEH+N QoC templates.
5. Quarterly review and development of sub-national QoC dashboards and Scorecards
6. Virtual and onsite capacity building of sub-national QoC Focal persons and Health management and information systems officers and member of the national QoC TWG
7. Mechanism for community participation integrated into QoC planning in learning sites

Implementing States

Pilot States
The National QoC TWG started RMNCAEH+N QoC in 12 States: Sokoto, Kebbi, Niger, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi, Gombe, Yobe, Ebonyi, Cross River and the FCT

Additional States
The 12 additional States of the National QoC TWG RMNCAEH+N QoC include: Jigawa, Borno, Taraba, Nasarawa, Kwara, Osun, Ondo, Edo, Imo, Rivers, Enugu and Cross River