WHO Recommendation | Related Guidance in Country Policies | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Kenya | Mozambique | Uganda | Zimbabwe | |
Maintain maternity waiting homes where they exist, ensuring IPC standards | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Maternity waiting homes to be kept open |
Screen birth companions for COVID-19 | Birth companions not allowed during pandemic | Birth companions not allowed during pandemic | Birth companions not allowed during pandemic | Birth companions not allowed during pandemic |
Ensure safe transport for mothers and newborns | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | At community level, coordinate boda boda cyclists for transport of pregnant women, newborns and children to facilities, especially in emergency situations. This may include mapping routes to facilities, creating rosters of boda boda riders, and securing emergency travel permits for riders. | Not mentioned |
Prioritize skin-to-skin contact and early and exclusive breastfeeding | Promoted with infection prevention measures advised. Skin-to-skin contact not mentioned. | Promoted with infection prevention measures advised. Skin-to-skin contact not mentioned. | Promoted with infection prevention measures advised. Skin-to-skin contact not mentioned. | Promoted with infection prevention measures advised. Skin-to-skin contact not mentioned. |
Cesarean section should be performed based solely on obstetric indications independent of COVID-19 status or transmission scenario | Deliver per pre-existing protocols | Caesarean section should be performed if indicated based on maternal and fetal status, as in normal practice | For elective cesarean procedures, case-by-case determination made to delay | At district, provincial, and tertiary levels, delay cesarean section for patients suspected to have COVID-19 to reduce risk associated with procedure (3 h for nulliparous, 2 h for multiparous) |
Prioritize PNC contact with women and newborns during first week after birth, including contact within 24 h for home birth | Low-risk women with cesarean delivery review at 2 and 6 weeks; high-risk women determined individually | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Follow-up by VHWs on day 7; no mention of contact within 24 h |
Where feasible, use digital health platforms for PNC counseling and screening | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
Where in-person PNC visits are necessary, provide all relevant care in a single visit | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
At PNC, offer 2–3 months of micronutrient supplements, ITNs, and contraceptives as relevant, and consider offering LARCs | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |
At PNC, ensure that complication readiness plans are adapted to take into account changes to services based on COVID-19 | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned | Not mentioned |