PURPOSE:
This project aims to strengthen data-informed decision-making in Samoa’s national sexual and reproductive health (SRH) program and clinical services by enhancing midwives’ and program managers’ engagement with the health management information system (HMIS) and capacity for routine data collection, feedback provision, and data use. It is a component of a UNFPA Pacific Sub-regional Office and Australian government initiative implemented across nine Pacific Island countries.

DISCUSSION:
Access to quality postnatal care for women and newborns is an essential yet often under-prioritised element of the maternal and newborn health continuum. Most maternal and newborn deaths occur in the first week after birth, with nearly half within the first 24 hours, which underscores global recommendations for care at critical intervals. However, many countries in the Pacific and around the world face challenges in monitoring coverage and quality of postnatal care.In Samoa, collaboration with midwives to review and standardise SRH data collection tools and indicators revealed gaps in postnatal care reporting, particularly after early hospital discharge (often within hours of birth). This highlighted a lack of routine postnatal care provision for mothers and newborns post-discharge and for those born outside of facilities. We will present and discuss the revised approach to postnatal care measurement in Samoa and our learning from piloting, roll-out, and improved data analysis. We will also share how this work has catalysed national dialogue on improving service delivery and follow-up for families in the postnatal period.

EVIDENCE WHERE RELEVANT:
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KEY MESSAGE:
Midwives are central to routine health information systems. Strengthening midwives’ engagement and capacity in HMIS activities enhances health system performance and the responsiveness of midwifery care to data-identified needs. Additionally, improving routine indicators for postnatal care presents a critical opportunity to improve evidence-based care provision in Samoa and globally, and this project will advance efforts in maternal and newborn health measurement, service improvement and health outcomes. Humanitarian 2