November 14, 2025

Dr. Arianna Means receives award to support facilities strengthen organizational culture of learning and improvement to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality

 

Congratulations to Dr. Arianna Means (Associate Professor, Global Health) for receiving a National Institutes of Health award for the AMANI (Accelerating Maternal And Neonatal survIval) trial that will test a practice facilitation package (of training materials, tools, and other resources) that could help stakeholders better understand the circumstances surrounding maternal and perinatal deaths, leading to improved quality of care and reduced mortality among mothers and infants. Study collaborators include Dr. John Kinuthia (Kenyatta National Hospital), Dr. Jennifer Unger (Brown University), and Dr. Sarah Hicks (Research Scientist, Global WACh).

AMANI builds on prior research identifying critical issues contributing to neonatal deaths during health facility delivery and identifying factors influencing guideline adherence, which led to the development of a practice facilitation package designed to strengthen facilities’ capacity to address care quality and implementation gaps.

Over the next five years, Dr. Means and collaborators will test whether the practice facilitation package, including enhanced mentorship and audit and feedback components, can improve implementation of WHO’s Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR) in Kenya, where the guidance is underutilized. MPDSR targets reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality by allowing the care team and hospital staff to review mortality cases, identify opportunities for changes in care, and actively implement solutions. Increased adherence to MPDSR can reduce maternal, perinatal, and neonatal mortality during pregnancy, labor, and delivery.

By using practice facilitators to support and mentor physicians, nurses, and other health care providers, AMANI aims to equip them with the knowledge, skills, and motivation in MPDSR to actively seek opportunities to reduce mortality and make those changes, enabling a safer, supportive care environment at their facilities. In addition, the study will investigate which components of the practice facilitation package (e.g., individual or group mentorship, quality improvement sessions) have the largest impact on MPDSR use in practice.

When healthcare teams learn and adapt together through MPDSR, they deliver higher quality care for mothers and their children. Providing these teams with the right tools and resources ensures a cycle of continuous learning and improvement, benefiting both care providers and their patients.