Impact partner profile
One Heart Worldwide
Saving the lives of mothers and newborns worldwide
2004
8141 El Extenso Ct. San Diego, CA 92119, USA
July 2016
Maternal and Newborn Health
Nepal
oneheartworldwide.org
At their core, One Heart Worldwide believes that all women and newborns should receive the quality healthcare services they deserve during pregnancy and childbirth, any time and any place. Their goal is to reduce the risk of maternal and neonatal mortality by improving access to, and the utilisation of, healthcare services in remote, rural areas.
Every 107 seconds, a woman around the world dies due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth. Every 14 seconds, a newborn baby dies. Most of these deaths occur in low-resource settings without a Skilled Birth Attendant, and could have been prevented with simple interventions. Studies show that the greatest burden of maternal and perinatal mortality is clustered around the time of birth, with the majority of deaths occurring within the first 24 hours after delivery. To help communities create an effective continuum of maternal and newborn health services, One Heart Worldwide implements a Network of Safety model. The model aims to strengthen the existing healthcare system to create an equitable system, where all women and newborns receive the quality healthcare services they deserve.
The Network of Safety approach involves skills transfer, community engagement, and facility upgrades within low-resource communities. Their sustainable model is grounded in deep respect for local culture and participation, and is fully aligned with local priorities. The government and local communities also co-invest in the delivery of One Heart Worldwide's program, and once outcome goals are achieved, they fully maintain this approach, ensuring long-term impact sustainability. As a result of their years of work, One Heart Worldwide’s programs are transforming Maternal and Newborn Health care in rural Nepal. Three years after their pilot programs in Baglung and Dolpa, maternal and newborn deaths in the regions decreased by 89% and 87%, respectively. Both of these districts now have the necessary infrastructure, led exclusively by their local governments, to deliver quality Maternal and Newborn Health services to 18,200 mothers and newborns annually. Now, the team impacts approximately 150,000 mothers and newborns annually in 36 rural districts across Nepal.
Core impact goals
Expanding their reach
One Heart Worldwide aim to support Nepal’s national plan to provide quality Maternal and Newborn Health services to all rural, pregnant women and their newborn infants. By the end of 2025, they aim to have impacted over 629,000 pregnancies in Nepal over the fifteen years of the program.
Decreasing maternal and neonatal mortality
One Heart Worldwide are aiming to see a 50% observed, and maintained, decline in maternal and neonatal mortality in districts that have been a part of the program for six or more years and which the team have since exited.
Increasing maternal and newborn health services utilisation
Measured by the number of births attended by a trained health care provider, as well as the number of institutional deliveries, One Heart Worldwide aim to increase observed, and maintained, service utilisation by 30% in all districts who’ve completed three years of their program. In 2022, in districts where their program has been completed, the average increase in the number of attended deliveries was 69%.
Increasing government participation
One Heart Worldwide are working to increase the average cost-share contribution from local municipalities towards birthing centre renovations. Currently, 100% of municipalities where they work contribute an average of 55% of costs. 51% of municipalities contribute in other ways, such as providing equipment, supplies, or training. They are also working to have 100% of their municipality partners prioritise Maternal and Newborn Health by setting aside budgets specifically earmarked for this purpose.
Type of grant funding given
$928,333 * AUD
*Unrestricted Grants funded from July 2020 to December 2023
12 month (July 2020-June 2021) unrestricted funded grant: $750,000 AUD