Research and Learning on: MNCH

The spread of COVID-19 - together with the need to harmonize national and international health emergency response - has made clear that efforts to achieve Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and to respond to health crises are reliant on a whole-of-society approach. Leveraging the private sector for healthcare service delivery is key to advance the UHC agenda and to efficiently respond to health emergencies, ensuring that all health-related services and goods are available, accessible, acceptable, and high-quality for all, irrespective of where people seek care. Engagement with the private sector has been a weak point in member states’ governance efforts for many years. The issue has become even more acute due to the increase in the scope and scale of the private health care sector, with the private sector providing over half of the health care in most countries. Notably, the private sector plays a critical role in maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) and family planning (FP) services, from developing drugs and innovative technologies, to running private clinics.

These studies will document the experience, benefits, challenges and lessons of engaging with the private sector to maintain the delivery and use of Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) and Family Planning (FP) services and protect UHC outcomes (quality, access, financial protection) during and post-COVID-19 pandemic.