Key Result Area 1 Maternal, Newborn, Child Health and Nutrition Overview The Maternal Newborn Child Health and Nutrition (MNCHN) Strategy of the Government of the Philippines is aimed at achieving the twin goals of maternal mortality and neonatal mortality reduction, with emphasis on the biological link between a mother and child. It intends to bridge the gap between the existing Safe Motherhood Program and Child Survival Program. The Strategy integrates into other existing programs, addressing reproductive health issues such as family planning, prevention of sexually transmitted infections and control of HIV and AIDS, as well as adolescent and youth health. Since the passage of the RPRH Law in 2012, the government has heavily invested in improving the MNCHN Core Package of Services for women, mothers, and children. Local health facilities have been upgraded and human resources for health have been trained or deployed to provide better maternal and child care at the primary level. The MNCHN core service package consists of health services that are both preventive and curative and established to lower the risk and respond to the direct causes of maternal and neonatal deaths and, consequently improve women’s and children’s health. The interventions cater to the spectrum of needs of women and children. For the women, this consists of services that span the period before pregnancy to post childbirth services that include essential newborn care during the first week of life. For children, this involves the immunization of all infants/children against vaccine-preventable diseases. The three-year comparable data on Status,Trends, and Accomplishments Maternal Health Data from the DOH Field Health Survey Information System (FHSIS) show an increase in utilization of maternal health care services, namely antenatal care12 (ANC), facility-based delivery (FBD), skilled birth attendance (SBA), and postpartum visits13 (PPV), over the past five years. Marked improvements have been noted in facilitybased deliveries and births attended by skilled 12 At least four antenatal care visits to or by a skilled health personnel, with the first visit occuring during the first trimester of pregnancy 13 Post-partum visit or check-up by a skilled health personnel within two days after delivery health providers. Beginning in 2016, FBD and SBA significantly increased at 92 and 94 percent, respectively from 86 percent in 2015. However, in 2019, both indicators decreased by 1 and 2 percentage points, respectively. While antenatal and post-partum care rates have been decreasing from 2015 to 2018, both indicators increased in 2019. Post-partum visits improved from 57 percent in 2018 to 62 percent in 2019 and antenatal care rate increased from 53 percent to 58 percent during the same period. 39 39 2019 2019Annual Annual Report Report Responsible Responsible Parenthood Parenthood and and Reproductive Reproductive Health HealthAct Act of of 2012 2012