Global landscape of Mother & Child Health Handbook

Abstract

The Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Handbook has been introduced in more than 52 countries, both developing and developed. Currently, roughly 22 million MCH Handbooks are distributed per year and used in an estimated 16% of 140 million annual births worldwide. This is because health is not promoted in hospitals or health centers, but is nurtured at home and in communities. As confronting quality and safe maternal and child health services required by COVID-19, the MCH Handbook has undergone diverse developments, including digitization and unique content creation. In particular, in response to social vulnerabilities exposed during the pandemic, countries like Kenya have begun efforts to strengthen inclusive health system development that involves citizens, the government, private firms, and partners by fully enhancing digital transformation, starting with the MCH Handbook.