title: Task shifting in maternal and newborn health care: key components from policy to implementation.
abstract: Task shifting in various forms has been adopted extensively around the world in an effort to expand the reach of lifesaving services to the women, newborns, and families who need them. The emerging global literature, as well as Jhpiego's field experiences, supports the importance of addressing several key components that facilitate effective task shifting in maternal and newborn health care. These components include: (1) policy and regulatory support; (2) definition of roles, functions, and limitations; (3) determination of requisite skills and qualifications; (4) education and training; and (5) service delivery support, including management and supervision, incentives and/or remuneration, material support (e.g. commodities), and referral systems. Jhpiego's experiences with task shifting also provide illustrations of the complex interplay of these key components at work in the field. Task shifting should be considered as a part of the larger health system that needs to be designed to equitably meet the needs of mothers, newborns, children, and families.
authors.affiliation: Jhpiego, Baltimore, MD, USA. Electronic address: barbara.deller@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Deller
authors.affiliation: Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Vandana
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Tripathi
authors.affiliation: Jhpiego, Pretoria, South Africa.
authors.forename: Stacie
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Stender
authors.affiliation: Jhpiego, Abuja, Nigeria.
authors.forename: Emmanuel
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Otolorin
authors.affiliation: Jhpiego, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.affiliation: Jhpiego, Baltimore, MD, USA.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carr
mesh_terms: D017954:Africa South of the Sahara; D001210:Asia, Southeastern; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000193:education*; D006280:Health Workforce; D006801:Humans; D000068104:Infant Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*; D000068097:Maternal Health / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence*
keywords: Health worker; Human resources for health; Maternal and newborn health; Task sharing; Task shifting