International Childbirth Initiative: A new Paradigm in Maternal Health Care.

Abstract

The International Childbirth Initiative (ICI) Twelve \xa0Steps to Safe and Respectful Maternity Care was developed to promote quality in practice within a broader scope and multidimensional approach to quality that ensures evidence based practice focusing on better (bio)-medical and psychosocial health outcomes for the Mother-Baby-Family unit. It also addresses a number of health system issues that contribute to the achievement of quality of care in practice including working conditions and relationships between health care providers. The ICI Foundational Principles and 12 Steps are building blocks for equitable, Mother-Baby-Family focused, timely, effective and respectful care that can be implemented by facilities, centres, hospitals and units providing care before, during and after birth to women and their babies throughout the world. The ICI supports organizational implementation and facilitates a learning community of practice for ICI implementers. As one of the founding organizations with IMBCO, FIGO has embraced this initiative and Dr. Carlos Fuchtner has declared it as a FIGO Presidential Initiative for the period 2019-2022 and has established a FIGO Working Group for the ICI that will continue to collaborate with partners to support ICI implementation and recognition status.