MARCH Research Center Mekelle University

MARCH Research Center Mekelle University Established in 2016 at CHS, Mekelle University, MARCH Research Center is a leading hub for implementation research tackling major public health challenges.

We drive impact through evidence; advancing science, informing policy & improving community health.

provided for 12 healthcare champions on We are thrilled to share that MARCH Research Center Mekelle University has su...
14/07/2026

provided for 12 healthcare champions on

We are thrilled to share that MARCH Research Center Mekelle University has successfully completed a highly interactive, 3-day national Training of Trainers ( ) for 12 healthcare champions on !

As part of our capacity-building efforts for the Antenatal Corticosteroids Implementation Research ( -IR) project, this training brought together 12 dedicated Obstetricians and Midwives from 6 hospitals across the Axum and Adigrat clusters in Ethiopia.

The training focused on equipping the champions with the critical knowledge and practical skills needed for preterm birth risk assessments and utilizing the Labor Care Guide (LCG) to document preterm labor.

A huge thanks to our Master Trainers, Dr. Hale Teka, MD., MSc. and Dr. Mulu Dagne (Gynecologists/Obstetricians), for their dedication in delivering the training up to the standard! We also extend our sincere gratitude to the March 8 MCH Centre CPD Center for providing the essential medical equipment that made this hands-on experience possible.

The ACS-IR project is a multi-country initiative dedicated to scaling up and evaluating the impact of Antenatal Corticosteroids to improve preterm newborn outcomes.

🗓️ : July 10th–12th, 2026 📍: March 8 MCH Center - ማርች 8 ማእኸል ሕክምና ኣዴታን ህፃናትን's CPD Center, Mekelle.

Hale Teka Raya

We are pleased to share that Dr. Hale Teka, MD., MSc., Maternal Health Lead and ACS Implementation Research Clinical Lea...
08/07/2026

We are pleased to share that Dr. Hale Teka, MD., MSc., Maternal Health Lead and ACS Implementation Research Clinical Lead at MARCH Research Center Mekelle University participated in 's Global Master Training of Trainers for two important courses: Risk of Preterm Birth and Labor Care Guide for Preterm Birth.

The training brought together researchers from Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nigeria, and Ethiopia, where the two-phase implementation research is currently being conducted.

These courses are now being cascaded through National Training of Trainers programs across all four countries, strengthening capacity to improve maternal and newborn care.

------------------------------------------------Strengthening Newborn Care Through Better Data at Samre Primary Hospita...
07/07/2026


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Strengthening Newborn Care Through Better Data at Samre Primary Hospital

As part of the SSNC-SLL360 Program in Tigray, the MARCH Research Center at Mekelle University continues to support health facilities in strengthening digital systems that improve maternal and newborn care.

On the 6th and 7th of July 2026, during the Phase II facility deployment in Tigray, the MARCH Research Center, Mekelle University team delivered desktop computers to Primary Hospital to strengthen inpatient data registration through the Integrated Maternal, Newborn and Inpatient Data ( ) system in the Labour & Delivery (L&D) and Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) wards.

The visit also included productive discussions with the hospital leadership and management team, followed by hands-on orientation for L&D and NICU staff to support the effective use of the system in routine clinical practice.

By investing in both digital infrastructure and the capacity of healthcare workers, the program is helping build stronger health information systems that support better clinical decision-making and improved outcomes for mothers and newborns.

The MARCH Research Center, Mekelle University gratefully acknowledges the Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia, Tigray Regional Health Bureau ( ), World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation, the NEST360 Alliance, and all implementing partners for their continued collaboration in advancing quality newborn care in Ethiopia.


: /NEST360 National Steering Committee Concludes Successful Four-Day Visit to TigrayThe four-day field visit of the ...
06/07/2026

: /NEST360 National Steering Committee Concludes Successful Four-Day Visit to Tigray

The four-day field visit of the /NEST360 National Steering Committee to Tigray concluded with a renewed commitment to strengthening neonatal and maternal healthcare through innovation, partnership, and evidence-based implementation.

The final day featured technical presentations highlighting progress across key program areas that are improving the quality, sustainability, and impact of care.

Updates included continued progress in strengthening health information systems through Electronic Medical Records (EMR), real-time dashboards that support data-driven decision-making, and an emerging Artificial Intelligence initiative designed to enhance clinical decision support for newborn care.

The Committee also learned about efforts to integrate mental health into SLL360 interventions, recognizing the importance of supporting the resilience and wellbeing of healthcare providers.

The program's growing contribution to research was also highlighted through updates on manuscripts, demonstrating progress in generating high-quality evidence, advancing scientific publications, and sharing lessons to inform policy, practice, and the global health community.

The visit concluded with a recognition dinner attended by senior leadership of Mekelle University and the SLL360/NEST360 team. As a symbol of appreciation for the partnership, , President of Mekelle University presented a commemorative painting to Abiy Seifu Estifanos, the Program's National Lead in Ethiopia.

Throughout the four-day visit, the Steering Committee engaged with the Tigray Regional Health Bureau, implementing hospitals, healthcare professionals, researchers, and program teams, witnessing firsthand the collaborative efforts driving improvements in newborn care through local leadership, innovation, capacity strengthening, and sustainable solutions.

MARCH Research Center Mekelle University sincerely thanks the National Steering Committee, the Tigray Regional Health Bureau, Mekelle University, implementing hospitals, healthcare workers, researchers, partners, and all stakeholders for their continued commitment to ensuring every newborn has access to quality, lifesaving care.

, we continue to build stronger health systems and save little lives!

Update: Health System Impact ReflectionsFollowing the visit to Adigudem Primary Hospital, the / Program National Ste...
05/07/2026

Update: Health System Impact Reflections

Following the visit to Adigudem Primary Hospital, the / Program National Steering Committee convened at Planet Hotel with leadership from the Tigray Regional Health Bureau and representatives of the program's implementing hospitals to reflect on implementation progress, share lessons learned, and identify priorities for the next phase of the program.

During the session, Furtuna Mekonen, Scientific Programs Coordinator and Researcher at MARCH Research Center, presented a comprehensive overview of the SLL360 Program's implementation progress in Tigray across all intervention tracks, highlighting key achievements, milestones, and ongoing efforts to strengthen maternal and newborn care.

This was followed by a presentation from Haben Haileselassie, Implementation Coordinator and Researcher at MARCH Research Center, who summarized the Steering Committee's observations and reflections from the ongoing supervisory visits to the implementing hospitals. She highlighted key strengths, identified areas requiring further attention, and outlined practical action points and recommendations to sustain and accelerate progress.

The session concluded with a rich and constructive discussion among participants, reaffirming the shared commitment of all stakeholders to strengthening health systems and improving the quality of maternal and newborn care across Tigray.

We, at MARCH Research Center Mekelle University, also gratefully acknowledge the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health ( ) and the Tigray Regional Health Bureau ( ) as well as the continued support of the , , the , , and all implementing partners whose collaboration is making it possible to improve the quality of care and save the lives of mothers and newborns.

Center for Implementation Sciences in Health - CIS

Updates: Adigudem Primary Hospital================================The / Program's National Steering Committee visite...
05/07/2026

Updates: Adigudem Primary Hospital

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The / Program's National Steering Committee visited Adigudem Primary Hospital, one of the program's learning facilities, to observe implementation progress and engage with hospital leadership and staff.

The visit began with a warm welcome, followed by a comprehensive presentation from the hospital management. The team reflected on the hospital's status before the program, the interventions implemented, including infrastructure renovation and strengthening of newborn care services, and the measurable improvements achieved. The presentation also highlighted existing challenges, proposed solutions, and priorities for sustaining and expanding the gains.

The Steering Committee then toured the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) and Labour and Delivery (L&D) wards, where members witnessed firsthand the remarkable dedication, professionalism, and strong sense of ownership demonstrated by the healthcare team. Their commitment is clearly reflected in the quality of newborn care services and the progress the hospital has made.

The visit concluded with a productive discussion between the Steering Committee, hospital leadership, and frontline healthcare providers. The session provided an opportunity to share feedback, recognize achievements, address challenges, and identify practical ways to further strengthen maternal and newborn care services.

MARCH Research Center Mekelle University acknowledges the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health ( ) and the Tigray Regional Health Bureau ( ) as well as the continued support of the NEST360 Alliance, the The World Bank Group Health Organization (WHO), the Gates Foundation, Rice University, and all implementing partners whose collaboration is helping strengthen quality newborn care in Ethiopia.



: visit (Mekelle General Hospital)______________________________________________________________The /NEST360 Progr...
03/07/2026

: visit (Mekelle General Hospital)

______________________________________________________________

The /NEST360 Program’s National Steering Committee was warmly welcomed by the leadership and staff of Mekelle General Hospital, one of the program’s four learning hospitals in Tigray.

The hospital’s Medical Director, Dr. Mesfin, presented on the interventions implemented through the program. He highlighted support provided across all four tracks: and , quality improvement ( ), biomedical engineering ( ), and systems. He also emphasized the significant infrastructure improvements and renovations supported by the SLL360 program.

Following the presentation, the Steering Committee divided into two groups and visited the NICU and Labor & Delivery (L&D) wards. During the visit, they engaged in constructive discussions with hospital staff, exchanging questions, reflections, and comments on service delivery and program implementation.

Finally, the Steering Committee held a reflection and debrief session with the Medical Director, hospital CEO, METRON office, QI focal persons, BSFR, and representatives from the NICU and L&D units, among others.

MARCH Research Center, Mekelle University sincerely acknowledges the Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia, NEST360, the Gates Foundation, World Health Organization, Rice University and all partners for their continued support and collaboration in strengthening newborn care systems.


: /NEST360 Program Steering Committee Visit in Continuing its visit to Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, t...
03/07/2026

:
/NEST360 Program Steering Committee Visit in

Continuing its visit to Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, the SLL360/NEST360 Program National Steering Committee toured the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU), Labour and Delivery (L&D) wards, and the Biomedical Engineering (BMET) workshop.

During the visit, the Steering Committee observed the hospital's infrastructure, service delivery, and the quality of maternal and newborn care, while assessing the progress and impact of the program's interventions across clinical mentorship, quality improvement, biomedical engineering, and data systems.

The visit concluded with a productive discussion between the Steering Committee and healthcare providers, attended by the Chief Clinical Director, heads of the NICU and L&D wards, and the Quality Improvement (QI) focal person. The meeting provided an opportunity to reflect on achievements, share constructive feedback, and discuss priorities for sustaining and strengthening quality maternal and newborn care.

We acknowledge the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia and the continued support of World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation, the NEST360 Alliance, and Rice University in advancing the SLL360/NEST360 Program in Ethiopia.


MARCH Research Center Mekelle University Mekelle University Center for Implementation Sciences in Health - CIS ,

: /NEST360 Program --------------------------------------------------------------------------The /NEST360 Program St...
03/07/2026

: /NEST360 Program

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The /NEST360 Program Steering Committee, in its second day visit, met with the leadership of the Tigray Regional Health Bureau's leadership including Deputy Head of the Bureau, Prevention Case Team Leader, BMET Team Leader, QI Team Leader, as well as MCH Team Leader.

, Implementation Coordinator and Researcher at MARCH Research Center Mekelle University presented an overview on the SLL360/NEST360 Program's so far interventions in all the four tracks: Education/clinical mentorship, QI, BMET and Data systems.

Discussions will continue next day in another event involving other stakeholders and leadership in the health system, wherein overall feedback on the program's impact will be dealt in details.

We sincerely acknowledge the leadership of the Federal Ministry of Health Ethiopia and the continued support of World Health Organization, the Gates Foundation, the NEST360 Alliance, and Rice University in advancing maternal and newborn care through the SLL360/NEST360 Program in Ethiopia.

Center for Implementation Sciences in Health - CIS

: Having concluded its visit to Wukro General Hospital, the /NEST360 program (Ethiopia) met with the leadership of ...
03/07/2026

:

Having concluded its visit to Wukro General Hospital, the /NEST360 program (Ethiopia) met with the leadership of Ayder Comprehensive Specialized Hospital, Mekelle University. Gebreegizabher, Chief Clinical Director, presented on overall history of the tertiary hospital, its current conditions, and importantly about the SLL360/NEST360 Program interventions in all the four tracks: Education/clinical mentorship, QI, BMET and Data systems.

Due emphasis was given to the infrastructure innovation initiative which has commenced recently. Grateful for the so far partnership, supports by and overall impact of the program, the Director underlined that their leadership is placing even a higher vision to the maternal and newborn care; hence, opted to invest in laying the foundations of a G+3 building, taking the /NEST360 Program's budget as an initial point and mobilizing resources from other stakeholders to finalise it.

Clinical, QI, BMET and Data intervention visits will be conducted tomorrow.


-AAU
Mekelle University

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