MomCare Adaptations During the COVID-19 Pandemic in Kenya, September 2020

ABSTRACT

Introduction/ Background: In response to the disruption of care driven by the pandemic outbreak, MomCare, (digital pregnancymodel) provided dedicated support to pregnant women and healthcare facilities including i. overview of prioritized health data and birth planning ii. extended bed allowance, iii. emergency ambulance during curfew iv. MS campaign v. COVID-19 preparedness support. Methods: The retrospective study uses cross sectional data of 13,443 pregnant women enrolled into the program across 26 clinics within Nairobi, Kisumu and Kakamega. Care utilization and outcomes data collected during the 6 months prior to COVID-19 outbreak (September 2019 - February 2020) and those collected during the first 6 months of the pandemic (March 2020 - August 2020) were compared using paired t-tests. All tests with pvalues less than 0,05 are considered significant. Results: Comparison of the fifteen outcome variables across the two periods and the three counties shows that in Kisumu and Kakamega counties, the percentage of skilled deliveries increased significantly (p0.05). Other indicators of quality of care, including the percentage of caesarian deliveries, folate/iron supplements, urinalysis, ultrasound, oxytocin, and hemoglobin tests at delivery, were maintained. Only the provision of Vitamin K to newborns dropped significantly (p0.01) during the pandemic (Nairobi and Kakamega). Impact MomCare's response plan proved effective to support health seeking behavior, access to care and quality care delivery during the pandemic outbreak;mitigating against indirect deaths maternal, neonatal, stillbirths. These results prove the value of a digital health system infrastructure that links demand and supply as an effective epidemic preparedness approach. Conclusion: MomCare's findings suggest that a digital platform efficiently supported sustained quality care delivery connecting mothers and facilities during the pandemic outbreak. There is a wide opportunity for public health practitioners to promote data-driven, patient centered personalized care, guarantee transparency, and ensure that vulnerable individuals continue to access quality pregnancy care.