LESSONS LEARNED FROM THE PMM NETWORK EXPERIENCE

For eight years, the Prevention of Maternal Mortality (PMM) Network in West Africa designed, implemented and evaluated projects to reduce ba rriers to care for women with obstetric complications. Many valuable l essons were learned concerning program development and implementation. A multidisciplinary approach enabled the Network to address the vario us aspects of the problem; collaboration between teams encouraged the sharing of resources and experiences; and collaboration with governmen t and communities enhanced project sustainability. Capacity building t hrough long-term, systematic technical support resulted in a Network o f proficient researchers. Existing human and material resources were u tilized to enhance the feasibility and sustainability of projects - a strategy that could be adopted in other developing countries. Cost-tra cking was used as a management and evaluation tool. The collective exp erience of the Network offers guidance for program planners and resear chers working on maternal mortality in developing countries. (C) 1997 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.