UCL researchers lead launch of the Independent Quality of Care Network Evaluation

From 2019 to 2023, Professor Tim Colbourn and his team led an evaluation of the QCN to understand how its work can improve the quality of care for maternal, newborn, and child health in high-mortality countries in Africa and South Asia. The evaluation focused on four diverse case study countries: Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Malawi, and Uganda.

Key findings from the research indicate that the network emerged more strongly and quickly in some countries than others. Crucial drivers of the QCN's emergence included pre-existing resources and initiatives dedicated to maternal and newborn health, strong data and health system capacity, and national commitment to advancing synergistic goals. Additionally, embedding QCN leadership in powerful agencies with pre-existing coordination structures, inclusive network membership, and effective individual national and local leadership were essential in explaining the network's speed and quality of emergence across countries.

The research also found that global and national leadership elements of the QCN have been most effective to date, with action, learning, and accountability being more challenging and dependent on partners or donors. These elements remain to be scaled up and were disrupted by the pandemic.

Understanding the key factors shaping the network's emergence, legitimacy, effectiveness, and sustainability across countries is critical for the WHO and global partners as they seek to establish QCN activities in other countries. This knowledge is also valuable for policymakers aiming to initiate global health networks and partnerships across various contexts. The work has recently informed WHO guidance on networks of care, highlighting its significance.

A launch webinar, held on 24th February 2025, disseminated the findings. The recording can be found at the link below.

Links

The Quality of Care Network (QCN) collection

QCN Evaluation UCL project page

Professor Tim Colbourn UCL Profiles