Pregnancy and childbirth during COVID-19

• Every woman’s right to a companion of choice during childbirth
  Produced by: WHO
  News release by WHO about women’s right to have a companion choice during birth during COVID-19.
• Putting the brakes on COVID-19: Safeguarding the health and rights of women and girls
  Produced by: UNFPA
  As reproductive health services are being disrupted, UNFPA and other international organizations are working on supporting low- and middle-income countries to sustain the provision of essential reproductive health services including during pregnancy and childbirth.
• Even amid pandemic, governments and advocates rally behind sexual and reproductive health and rights
  Produced by: UNFPA
  During the Nairobi Summit on ICPD25 conducted last year, 170 countries committed to support of sexual and reproductive health and rights. This press release highlights the critical importance of these commitments as women and adolescents are faced with the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Mother-to-Child Transmission of COVID-19
  Produced by: European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control
  This document provides advice for pregnant women and new mothers on the symptoms of Covid-19 infection and ways to protect themselves and their babies.
• Policy Brief: The Impact of COVID-19 on Women
  Produced by: UN
  This brief highlights the main impacts of Covid-19 on women's livelihoods in terms of economic, health and gender-based violence and provides national response strategies on mitigating those consequences. (pages: 10- 12)
• Infant and Young Child Feeding Recommendations When COVID-19 is Suspected or Confirmed: Recommended Practices Booklet
  Produced by: USAID
  A practice booklet covering Infant and Young Child Feeding Recommendations When COVID-19 is Suspected or Confirmed.
• In this extraordinary time, routine health care is essential
  Produced by: Healthy Newborn Network
  This blog post advocates that routine health care is essential and that during the COVID-19 pandemic, the voices of women and girls remain largely unheard.
• Every Newborn Action: Regional and country responses to the COVID pandemic
  Produced by: Healthy Newborn Network
  This blog post reports on The Lives in the Balance COVID-19 Summit were the global and regional newborn health community showcased their efforts in assisting countries to protect, preserve and track the delivery of good quality care to every woman and newborn during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
• More babies are dying due to indirect effects of the COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: Healthy Newborn Network
  This blog post covers a new study from Nepal reporting that the COVID-19 outbreak and response have severely affected maternal and newborn health.
• Ending preventable newborn deaths and stillbirths by 2030
  Produced by: Every Newborn Action Plan
  This report provides key messages on the status of mothers and newborns and the challenges presented by COVID-19. It calls on all stakeholders to take action to improve access to services and the quality of care for all pregnant women and newborns, especially during this health crisis, which has exacerbated existing weaknesses in health systems.
• SNL Newborn Health Legacy e-Talk series: Summary
  Produced by: Healthy Newborn Network
  This blog post reports and summarizes on the SNL Newborn Health Legacy e-Talk series of 12 sessions focusing the future agenda for maternal and newborn health.
• Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights, Maternal and Newborn Health & COVID-19
  Produced by: UNFPA
  Although there is no evidence that pregnant women are more susceptible to covid-19, it is crucial that safe childbirth services are accessible to all women, and that the antenatal and postnatal care are maintained according to national guidelines and standards, especially in epicentres of the pandemic, where access to services for pregnant women, women in labour and delivery, and lactating women is negatively impacted.
• Investing in Health Workers to Save Maternal and Newborn Lives: Briefing Note
  Produced by: UNICEF
  This Briefing Note describes the main challenges that healthcare workers face in providing essential healthcare services to pregnant women, mothers and newborns such as: availability and accessibility of health workers and professional training; and provides policy solutions to overcome those hurdles. (pages 3-6)
• Pregnant mothers and babies born during COVID-19 pandemic threatened by strained health systems and disruptions in services
  Produced by: UNICEF
  With 116 million expected births in the approximately 9 months since the COVID pandemic was recognized, UNICEF calls on governments and donors to maintain lifesaving services for pregnant women and newborns.
• Levels & Trends in Child Mortality Estimates developed by the UN Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation: Report 2020
  Produced by: WHO, UNICEF, World Bank
  This advocacy report depicts the state of children's and newborns health today during and before the Covid-19 crisis and shows how the pandemic affected the essential child healthcare services.
• Statement by the UN Working Group on discrimination against women and girls: Responses to the COVID-19 pandemic must not discount women and girls
  Produced by: Working Group on discrimination against women and girls, OHCHR
  This advocacy piece highlights the discrimination against women and girls that has been exacerbated with the Covid-19 pandemic and calls upon governments to take a gender sensitive intersectional approach in their responses to COVID-19 and implement measures to protect women and girls during COVID-19, including during pregnancy and childbirth.

• Clinical management of severe acute respiratory infection (SARI) when COVID-19 disease is suspected
  Produced by: WHO
  This WHO clinical Guidance document aims at providing clear guidelines for managing pregnant and delivering women having a Covid-19 infection.
• COVID-19 and Pregnancy: Interim Guidance
  Produced by: WFP
  This WFP guidance document addresses concerns on susceptibility of pregnant women to Covid-19 infection, infection outcomes on the pregnancy and its impact on the foetus. It also displays the WHO hand rub procedure.
• Clinical management of COVID-19
  Produced by: WHO
  This guidance document is intended for clinicians caring for COVID-19 patients, during all phases of their disease (i.e. screening to discharge). (pages 39- 42)
• Community-based health care, including outreach and campaigns, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic: Interim guidance
  Produced by: WHO, UNICEF, IFRC
  This joint WHO, UNICEF and IFRC guidance addresses the role of community-based health care in the pandemic context. It includes practical recommendations for decision makers to help keep communities and health workers safe, to sustain essential services at the community level, and to ensure an effective response to COVID-19 (pages 20,21)
• Maintaining essential health services: operational guidance for the COVID-19 context
  Produced by: WHO
  This document expands on the content of pillar 9 of the COVID-19 strategic preparedness and response plan, supersedes the earlier operational guidance for maintaining essential health services during an outbreak, and complements the recently-released (pages 24, 25)
• Operational planning guidance to support country preparedness and response
  Produced by: WHO
  This document was developed by WHO to provide a practical guide that may be used by national authorities to develop and update their COVID‑19 national plans across the major pillars of COVID‑19 preparedness and response. It is also intended for use by the UNCTs and key partners to develop or update their COVID‑19 multiagency plans with and in support of national authorities. (page: 9, 14, 15, 19)
• East and Southern Africa Region Joint Interim Guidance on Continuity of Essential Health and Nutrition Services during the COVID-19 Pandemic
  Produced by: WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF
  This document portrays the main challenges faced by health systems during the Covid-19 pandemic and aims at empowering them to maintain the continuity of essential health and nutrition services (page: 5)
• Continuing essential Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health services during COVID-19 pandemic
  Produced by: WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA
  The document below provides Operational guidelines for countries to sustain quality sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) services in the context of COVID-19 response.
• COVID-19 Technical Brief Package for Maternity Services
  Produced by: UNFPA
  This document provides interim guidance to reduce the risk of infection from the mother/newborn to the maternity care provider and from the maternity care provider to mother/newborn in the immediate clinical care situation.
• Infection prevention and control during health care when coronavirus disease (‎COVID-19)‎ is suspected or confirmed
  Produced by: WHO
  This resource provides information on infection prevention and control during COVID-19 and is primarily directed towards healthcare professionals.
• Continuing essential Sexual, Reproductive, Maternal, Neonatal, Child and Adolescent Health services during COVID-19 pandemic: Practical Considerations
  Produced by: WHO, UNFPA, UNICEF
  The document below provides detailed practical considerations for countries to sustain quality sexual, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health (SRMNCAH) services in the context of COVID-19 response.
• Addressing the COVID-19 Crisis’s Indirect Health Impacts for Women and Girls
  Produced by: Centre for Global Development
• Update on WHO Interim recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination of pregnant and lactating women
  Produced by: WHO
  The presentation provides a brief overview of the WHO's recommendations on vaccination for pregnant and breastfeeding women. It also provides a list of technical resources on vaccination in this population group. 
• Do no harm – Maternal, Newborn and Infant Care during COVID-19
  Produced by: UNICEF, International Pediatric Association and USAID
  The technical brief presents guidance to prevent the disruption and ensure the continuation of safe and efficient maternal, neonatal and child health services in the context of COVID-19, with an emphasis on the safe provision of oxygen treatment for newborns. Additionally, it provides guidelines for effective infection prevention and control measures while delivering these essential health services
• Interim recommendations for the use of the Janssen Ad26.COV2.S (COVID-19) vaccine
  Produced by: WHO
  The guidance presents the guidelines for the administration, and storage of the Janssen Ad26.COV2.S vaccine in addition to the eligible population to receive it. It also provides the precautions, contraindications and considerations related to receiving this vaccine. Specific guidance for children, adolescents and pregnant and lactating women can be found on page 3 of the guidance.
• Interim recommendations for use of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine, CoronaVac, developed by Sinovac
  Produced by: WHO
  The guidance presents the guidelines for the administration and storage of the inactivated CoronaVac vaccine in addition to the eligible population to receive it. Specific guidance for pregnant and breastfeeding women and children found on pages 3-4
• Guidance on developing a national deployment and vaccination plan for COVID-19 vaccines
  Produced by: WHO
  This document provides guidelines and recommendations for country officials in outlining and updating the national deployment and vaccination plans (NDVPs) and guiding them to maintain proper the vaccine roll out implementation, monitoring and financing processes. It also encompasses lessons learned from country experiences with their early NDVPs and vaccine roll out initiatives.  Specific detail on pregnant and lactating women found on page 30-31
• AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S/nCoV-19 [recombinant], COVID-19 vaccine explainer
  Produced by: WHO
  This is an updated version of the manufacturers' guidance document for the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S/nCoV-19 vaccine previously released in February, 2021. It includes the vaccine's characteristics, storage, packaging, safety and administration considerations. Specific information on pregnant and lactating women and children on pages 3-4.
• Background document on the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine BIBP developed by China National Biotec Group (CNBG)
  Produced by: WHO
  This document presents some background information and the results of the preclinical and clinical trials of the inactivated COVID-19 vaccine BIBP, based on which the guidelines for the administration, safety, efficacy, storage and packaging of this vaccine were established. Information specific to pregnant and lactating women and children found on page 18.
• Addressing the Specific Needs of Women Who Use Drugs - Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV, Hepatitis B and C and Syphilis
  This technical brief provides guidance on the delivery of services for the prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV, hepatitis B and C and syphilis in women who use drugs based on the latest evidences and using a human rights approach. It also provides policy recommendations for country officials to facilitate the elimination of mother-to-child transmission (EMTCT). Page 7 is specific to pregnancy and breastfeeding
  Produced by UNODC, UNFPA, INPUD, UNAIDS, UNICEF, WHO
• COVID-19 Vaccines: safety surveillance manual. Module on safety surveillance of COVID-19 vaccines in pregnant and breastfeeding women
  This document provides an overview of the considerations to keep in mind when monitoring the safety of vaccinating pregnant and breastfeeding women with COVID-19 vaccines and surveilling the potential adverse events following immunization (AEFIs).
  Produced by WHO
• Interim recommendations for use of the ChAdOx1-S [recombinant] vaccine against COVID-19  (AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine AZD1222 Vaxzevria™, SII COVISHIELD™)
  These updated guidelines, present the considerations and precautions on the utilization of the AstraZeneca ChAdOx1-S recombinant vaccine based on the most recent evidence on emerging variants with specific reference to pregnant women on pages 5-6.
  Produced by WHO

• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about birth in times of COVID-19
  Produced by: Global Alliance for Newborn Care
  This Q/A page addresses some frequent concerns that pregnant women and healthcare professionals have on childbirth during the current pandemic.
• COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions
  Produced by: UNFPA
  UNFPA addresses some Frequently Asked Questions on women, pregnancy and SRHR during COVID-19. This also includes information on ensuring respectful care during COVID-19. (questions: 4-8)
• Q&A on COVID-19, pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding
  Produced by: WHO
  WHO addresses some questions on pregnancy, childbirth and breastfeeding during COVID-19.
• Understanding Global Newborn Health: Q&A with Hema Magge of the Gates Foundation
  Produced by: Every Woman Every Child
  This Q/A section from Every Woman Every Child addressing the maternal and newborn healthcare service disruption during Covid-19.
• Navigating pregnancy during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic
  Produced by: UNICEF
  This Q&A session with Franka Cadée, ICM President, provides information for women about pregnancy and how to protect themselves and their babies during COVID-19
• Q&A: COVID-19 vaccines and pregnancy
  These questions and answers are intended to provide answers to health providers and the public on COVID-19 vaccination during pregnancy.
  Produced by WHO

• Maternity Foundation and partners launch a digital response to help ensure safer childbirths during COVID-19
  Produced by: Maternity Foundation
  Maternity Foundation manufactured and launched a digital tool to support midwives virtually and ensure safer childbirths during COVID-19 in humanitarian and low-resource settings.
• El Salvador begins telemedicine for pregnant women, new mothers and other priority groups
  Produced by: UNFPA
  El Salvador Government launched a digital medical telecare service targeting pregnant and post-partum women, children below five, and people having mental health needs. This service aimed to lower contact between people, and thus decreasing transmission rates while rendering medical care accessible.
• Timely, Evidence-Based Information Key to Keeping Midwives and Mothers Safe in Indonesia
  Produced by: The White Ribbon Alliance
  This report shows the challenges that healthcare professionals face during maternal and neonatal healthcare service delivery during the pandemic. The Global Respectful Maternity Care Council, launched the Safer Together initiative to stress on government officials and policy-makers to produce evidence-based guidance documents to help direct midwives and healthcare staff on the safe maternal, obstetric and newborn practices during covid-19.
• Continuity and monitoring of the MNH services in the context of COVID-19: Experiences from Uganda
  Produced by: UNICEF
  This webinar portrays Uganda's Covid-19 preparedness and response plan on maintaining MNH Service Continuity.
• Mobile health teams bring critical services to women in remote Afghanistan
  Produced by: UNFPA
  In Afghanistan, UNFPA established mobile healthcare teams to diminish the inaccessibility to essential healthcare services for pregnant women and mothers and newborn. This document describes how these mobile services helped Afghan women and children receive much needed health care.
• The Rohingya influx, three years on
  Produced by: UNFPA
  In Bangladesh, UNFPA managed to maintain sexual and reproductive health care services for the Rohingya refugees by providing facilities, equipment and healthcare personnel.
• For pregnant COVID-19 patients in Egypt, a safe place to deliver
  Produced by: UNFPA
  In Egypt, UNFPA managed to guarantee continued access to the full range of maternal, antenatal, and postpartum health services by developing standard operating procedures for providing care during the pandemic conditions.

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