Yemen Safe Motherhood Voucher Program

closed

The objectives of the Queen of Sheba Safe Motherhood Program Project in Yemen are: 1) to provide quality maternal care to eligible women in targeted districts in Sana's; and 2) to design and implement a model of care that provides key lessons and serves a demonstration effect of use of innovative models of care that integrate Yemeni public policy on maternal and child care and private health provision in Yemen. The program is a four year community based program that comprises the provision of a defined 'mother-baby package' of essential quality services as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), such as antenatal care, birth attendance by skilled birth attendants, postnatal care, complicated care services and family planning, to eligible women of reproductive age (15-49) in Sana'a, Yemen. The package price will be US$150. The costs of treatment and medication are included in the package price including an assumed estimated 15 percent of patients requiring caesarian sections/emergency care. While the package price is at a discount to current quoted prices, it is deemed fair given that the bulk of services will be delivered at community level and not at hospital level. A minimal user fee of US$15 will be required from targeted women, which will be paid in month 8 or 9 of the pregnancy, prior to delivery. The US$15 was determined based on the current practice of Yemeni families giving US$10-US$20 on the day of delivery to whoever helped the pregnant woman deliver. The project does not use a voucher scheme as initially designed, instead eye scanning/finger prints will be used as the identification and tracking mechanism for eligible women in the program.