Work objective: Health services for health statistics

Management approaches and methods: Cooperation between department leaders and experts ensures a successful implementation of the work duties and facilitates improvements in the working process.

The Institute for Mother and Child Health Care (MACHCI) is the protection and promotion of the health and well-being of mothers and children in the Republic of North Macedonia. Why mothers and children?

The advancement of mother and child health as the two most vulnerable groups of the population continues to be one of the most important priorities of the governments of any modern state

The Republic of North Macedonia has done a lot to improve the health status of mothers and children and has made significant progress in reducing maternal, infant and child mortality rates. These health indicators reflect not only the health status of the population as a whole, but also important meters of the quality of the country’s health system. Although the health of mothers and children appears to pose different challenges, they are closely related to their promotion as well. The Health Care Institute uses an integrated approach, ranging from family planning, pregnancy and childbirth, perinatal care and infancy, early childhood and adolescence.

History of the Institute

The nursing and maternity care institution was established in 1957 with the decision of the Government of the Socialist Republic of Macedonia and with financial assistance from UNICEF. With the integration of the Health Care Center in Skopje in 1971, the Office became a working unit of the Health Care Center in Skopje and with its activities became more involved in the implementation of preventive activities in the territory of the City of Skopje but then continued to fulfill the duties at the state level.

Activities:

Through its work in the field of essential public health functions, the Institute provides an integrated and holistic approach to improving the health of these two most vulnerable groups of people through the following activities:

-Monitoring the health status and protection of mothers and children;

-Monitoring, processing and analyzing data from vital and health statistics in the field of health care and the situation of mothers and children in the Republic of Macedonia;

-Development of systems for monitoring the health status indicators of children in terms of social inequality and socio-economic subgroups

-Preliminary infant mortality rate and perinatal mortality rate in the Republic of Macedonia

-Proposes measures to improve the health of children, adolescents and women of reproductive age.

– Prepares information on the health status of women and children in the Republic of Macedonia

 Strengthening of the capacities of health professionals

Continuous trainings and seminars for the education of polyvalent nurses in all aspects of safe motherhood (family planning, antenatal care, maternity and newborn care in the postnatal period, nursing counseling and complementary nutrition, proper growth and development of newborns and small children, children at risk, as well as adolescent health aspects and advice to women on the need for regular care for reproductive health.

Continuous training and workshops for overcrowded teams working with pre-school children, including children at risk, in the field of promoting breastfeeding, proper diet, early childhood development, rational use of antibiotics, the importance of regular vaccination in promoting health, preventing early childhood injuries, and so on.

Health-promoting activity

Health-educational lessons and workshops for school-age children. Lectures are held in high school in separate class using contemporary interactive methods. The topics are in the field of prevention of dangerous behaviors (substance use and abuse, dangerous sexual behavior, prevention of sexually transmitted infections, prevention of teenage pregnancy, violent behavior). Prepare, print and distribute written promotional health materials: manuals, guides, brochures, leaflets and posters intended for health professionals, parents, teens and other groups of population to promote the health of mothers, children and adolescents.

Participation in public health campaigns, such as the European Week of Immunization, the World Week of Breastfeeding, etc.

Participation in creating policies for improving the health of mothers and children

 -Participation in the preparation of strategic documents in the field of sexual and reproductive health (programs, action plans, strategies, guidelines)

-Participating in research and information for policymakers and providing suggestions and recommendations to promote existing practices, policies and legislation in the field of safe motherhood.

– Strengthening social participation through cooperation with civic associations, women’s associations, and Roman non-governmental organizations.

-Participating in joint activities such as research, workshops, advocacy activities, trainings, forums, work meetings etc. in order to enhance co-operation with representatives of civil society, community and citizens, and incorporate their proposals in creating policies that affect the health of mothers and children.

Why are we present?

– There are over 500,000 women of reproductive age in Macedonia and over 500,000 young children and teenagers

-About 24,000 infants are born each year

– Over 500,000 children and adolescents each year should protect their health from contagious diseases, but also from risk factors of behavior

-A large number of families with young children need support in their efforts to ensure a healthy start for their newborns and ensure their optimal growth and development

Approximately 300,000 teenagers need social support in promoting their sexual and reproductive health as well as applying a healthy lifestyle that ensures the quality of life in adult education.

What are the goals?

– Continuous provision of effective and efficient health services for children and women from a reproduction period related to safe motherhood and the growth and proper development of children.

-Increasing the availability, quality and sustainability of preventative health care services for mothers and children.

– Strengthening the capacities of parents, close family members and the local community in promoting the development of early childhood within the family.

– Mitigating the impact of social determinants (poverty and social inequalities) in the development of harmful health indicators in mothers and children.

-Strengthen the capacities of local communities to provide broad social support in overall efforts to improve the health status of mothers and children

– Further reductions in infant and small children mortality.

– Reduction of perinatal mortality.

– Full coverage of children immunization.

– Full coverage of pregnant women with quality antenatal care

– Full coverage of pregnant women at birth with professional support measures and precautionary perinatal measures for mothers.

-Raising the level of awareness of parents on the principles of proper growth and development of children.

– Strengthen the Institute’s capacity to collect and manage the epidemiological data needed, to create effective programs to improve the health of mothers and children.

Our vision…

Through various activities and programs, the office is seeking in the future to create an environment in which:

• All pregnancies will be planned.
• All women will achieve the optimal level of health for a healthy and safe pregnancy.
• No woman will face serious injury to health or death due to pregnancy and childbirth.
• All babies will be born healthy.
• All children and adolescents will achieve an optimal level of health and well-being.
• All women, newborns, young children and adolescents will have access to quality health care, including family planning services, childbirth and childbirth care, monitoring growth and development of children and strengthening teenage skills of healthy lifestyles.
• Women, children and family are highly valued.
• Eliminate all health inequalities.

The Institute for the Protection of Mother and Child Health and its place in lifelong progress