Improving Maternal, Newborn and Child Health outcomes through Capacity Support to Community Structures

Maternal, neonatal and child health (MNCH) remains a public concern in Zambia. For instance, maternal mortality in Zambia is estimated at 183 deaths per 100,000 live births (Phiri et al., 2020). Equally, between 2014-2018, neonatal mortality rates increased from 24 to 27 deaths per 1,000 1 births. Therefore, improving MNCH is one of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) targets and one of the public health issues that Zambia's 7th National Development Plan (7NDP) addresses. Realizing how crucial MNCH is to meeting SDG Goal 3.2 and the 4th pillar of the 7NDP, World Vision Zambia implemented Lela Umwana (nurture your child) Project. The project was implemented in the Mungwi District of Northern Province from 2016 to 2019. The project's goal was to improve the health and nutrition status of 1,075 mothers and 3,385 children under five in Iyaya Ward of Bwacha in Mungwi District by 2019.