Before the COVID-19 pandemic, important progress had been made in improving maternal, neonatal, and child health (MCH) outcomes around the globe, with under-five deaths and maternal mortality falling to historic lows by 2019. However, the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and resulting mortality has wreaked havoc on broad health outcomes.

Over the last two years, PATH has worked alongside governments, donors, and partners around the globe to respond to COVID-19 while working to mitigate its impact by preserving the delivery of essential health services. In early 2022, we conducted an internal analysis to explore COVID-19 disruptions–with a special focus on the impact to MCH essential services–and the innovations that were deployed to address these disruptions. We found that despite reduced budgets for MCH, overstretched workforces, and a reduced focus on universal health care, governments and their partners developed and used a range of innovations at the primary health care (PHC) level intended to safeguard MCH care.

Read PATH's full set of recommendations for USAID maternal and child health programming below.