Objectives
The Government of Nigeria initiated the national Maternal, New-born and Child Health Week (MNCHW) campaign to deliver critical nutrition and health interventions in 2010. Prior to 2015, there was no systematic monitoring of the programme. An external monitoring framework was developed to assess the programme performance and increase accountability and transparency
Methods
The national MNCHW guideline was revised to incorporate a monitoring protocol with specific checklists. External government monitors were trained to monitor the event using SMART tablets, GPS was used to map the location of health facilities monitored. Data collected were uploaded in real time to a central online database, analysed and disseminated daily to States and non-government partners.
Results
The monitoring system was operationalized in the June 2015 MNHCW round, with all 37 States monitored. In total 37 Federal and 111 State monitors were mobilised. Ninety percent of monitors visited the designated LGAs with checklists being filled for 95% (1995) of all facilities monitored. Real time monitoring provided information on the provision of interventions during the campaign, providing the opportunity for timely corrective actions to be taken when challenges were identified.
Conclusions
Development of external monitoring protocol and use of SMART tablets with GPS tracking has increased accountability both for the programme and for the monitors themselves, by ensuring compliance to the monitoring protocol. Use of SMART tablets facilitated standardised data collection, analysis and reporting, which has enhanced the effectiveness and timeliness of the monitoring exercise.
