'The First 1,200 days for the Mother, her Newborn and Child'

This innovation selects and trains local/domicile Traditional Birth Attendants (TBA's) from a targeted community with poor maternal, newborn and child health (immunization and nutrition) indices. Being members (the TBA's) of the same community, the pregnant mothers know and trust the TBA's which also results in the mothers easily agreeing with all health advises from the TBA's concerning their pregnancies, newborns, and children. The TBA's, adhering to the afore training, would for example not make deliveries themselves, but would refer the mothers to the health facility for AnteNatal Care (ANC), delivery, Post Natal Care, routine immunization as well as insist on early initiation of breast milk and exclusive breast feeding. The TBA's would also track and refer other malnourished children of that community to the health facility for proper care or health advice. The innovation will drastically improve ANC attendance of pregnant women from their second trimester, reduce maternal mortality, improve facility delivery of babies/skilled birth deliveries, improve routine immunization and also improve newborn and child nutrition. A community PHC in a north-western State of Nigeria, had their ANC and Facility deliveries improved with about 112% and 98% respectively within 4 months of implementing this innovation.