Table 8.

Addressing the knowledge gaps for clean practices at birth and in the postnatal period

Analysis of existing datasets

Analysis of existing data sets to examine the relationship between clean birth practices, use of clean birth kits and neonatal mortality/ morbidity, with improved controlling for confounding variables.

Examination of implementation experiences

Examination of implementation approaches for the promotion of behaviour change in relation to clean practices, particularly to examine whether certain strategies for clean birth kits distribution may act as an incentive or disincentive for facility birth.

New studies

New research studies for example well designed randomised controlled trials of implementation strategies to improve clean birth and postnatal practices assessing benefits, feasibility, costs and potential negative effects of different strategies e.g. education, media, community mobilisation, clean birth kits.