IDEU Maternal and Neonatal Group

The Maternal and Neonatal Group carries out research to contribute to, and inform, international debate on key policy issues related to the health of young children and their mothers.

Twins: Arabella Preston

Hospital records: Katerini Storeng

Dioulassoba women: Katerini Storeng

Half a million maternal deaths and 30-60 million serious maternal morbidities occur each year. Also, over four million newborns die annually and three million babies are stillborn. Nevertheless, maternal and neonatal health interventions that dramatically reduce death and disease have not been taken up.

Our goal is to undertake essential research to address maternal and neonatal health problems, especially in poor countries. Our research is designed to generate new knowledge in the following areas:

1. We describe the epidemiology of maternal and neonatal mortality and morbidity. This facilitates the design of appropriate programmes.
2. We conduct high quality research on specific interventions and service content to improve maternal and neonatal care.
3. Further, we conduct research on understanding the health policy and health system issues which obstruct the political will for change. This includes the costing and financing of maternal and newborn health programmes
4. We continue to develop and promote methods for monitoring and evaluating progress achieved by maternal and neonatal health programmes.
5. We have partnerships of UK and international collaborators with established reputations in the field. These links are vital for the viability of the research and for the work to have maximum impact in the poor communities at which it is directed. Our principal partners are well placed to influence policy at the national level.

Location: UK, Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Malawi, Senegal, Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Indonesia, Brazil, Egypt, Lebanon, Turkey

Funding: DFID, IMMPACT, European Union, ESRC, Wellcome Trust