Brief Summary
This consultation provided a comprehensive desk review to assess existing standards, policies, and practices on the prevention and treatment of maternal and neonatal infections, with a focus on sepsis in Indonesia. The review aimed to support the development of evidence-based interventions in the next phase of Project HOPE’s maternal and newborn health (MNH) programming.
Indonesia faces persistently high maternal and neonatal mortality rates, with maternal sepsis identified as a significant cause of death, accounting for nearly 5% of maternal deaths between 2016 and 2022. Despite numerous national regulations and global commitments such as the SDGs, the burden of preventable infection-related complications during pregnancy, childbirth, and postpartum remains substantial, especially in disadvantaged regions.
This study applied a structured literature review methodology, organized around three core activities:
- comparison of global and national clinical guidelines;
- examination of the implementation status of infection prevention and control (IPC) within maternal and neonatal care; and
- synthesis of findings across four thematic areas—clinical procedures, prophylactic antibiotic use, infection treatment and sepsis management, and early identification of sepsis.
The review found significant discrepancies between Indonesian and global standards, particularly in antibiotic stewardship and IPC protocols. It also revealed uneven implementation and compliance in clinical practices across facilities—such as inconsistent hand hygiene, umbilical cord care, and the use of prophylactic antibiotics in routine obstetric procedures. Limited resources, outdated clinical guidelines, and weak health information systems were identified as core challenges to improving infection prevention and management.
By consolidating these findings, the consultation generated key recommendations for Project HOPE and its partners, including the need to update national clinical guidelines in alignment with WHO standards, enhance healthcare worker training on IPC and rational antibiotic use, and improve facility-level monitoring and compliance mechanisms. This review contributes critical insights to support evidence-informed policy advocacy and program design in advancing maternal and newborn infection care in Indonesia.