HMS Program Overview

To improve quality of care on the day of birth, Jhpiego, in collaboration with global partners, developed Helping Mothers Survive (HMS). HMS is a suite of facility- and simulation-based learning modules designed to improve and sustain the life-saving skills of midwives, nurses, doctors, and others who care for women and their newborns during pregnancy, labor, and birth.

HMS incorporates the latest evidence in clinical care and learning methodologies to all modules in the suite. The first module in the series, HMS Bleeding after Birth Complete, addresses postpartum hemorrhage, the leading cause of maternal deaths globally. In response to requests from around the globe, Jhpiego is expanding the suite into other clinical areas with input from the leaders in global health such as the International Confederation of Midwives (ICM), the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics, (FIGO) and the International Council of Nurses (ICN). Additional modules include, HMS Pre-eclampsia & Eclampsia, HMS Essential Care for Labor & Birth, and HMS Threatened Preterm Birth Care. We are in the process of finalizing the suite to include HMS Prolonged & Obstructed Labor and HMS Vacuum Assisted Birth.

In addition to expanding the competencies covered by the HMS suite, the HMS Secretariat advocates for uptake of these evidence-based learning modules globally. When providers are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and confidence necessary to provide quality care on and around the day of birth, they can reduce the burden of maternal and newborn deaths in their communities. The HMS Secretariat also provides guidance on implementing and incorporating the Low-Dose, High-Frequency (LDHF) learning approach used to deliver these modules into existing pre-service and in-service education programs by offering technical assistance and linking HMS advocates, implementers, and trainers across the globe.