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Government of Indonesia Launches New Jalin Project to Prevent Maternal and Newborn Deaths

Vital Strategies will provide technical assistance and mortality surveillance for the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded project

(New York, USA) – Vital Strategies, a global leader in civil registration and vital statistics, and mortality measurement, announced today the launch of new global health program, Jalin Project. The USAID-funded five-year program aims to reduce the number of maternal and newborn mortality rates in Indonesia. A joint effort led by DAI, Jalin promotes locally led solutions to preventing maternal and newborn deaths and extending health services to impoverished areas.

Despite significant progress toward key development goals, maternal and newborn mortality rates remain high in the region compared to neighboring countries, particularly among poor and vulnerable populations. By some estimates, as many as 90,000 newborns and up to 12,000 mothers die each year in Indonesia.

“Vital Strategies’ role in Jalin is to measure maternal and newborn deaths and to help strengthen the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics (CRVS) system,” said Dr. Philip Setel, Vice President and Director for CRVS Program at Vital Strategies. “Lack of understanding the causes and circumstances of those deaths is a real challenge in addressing evidence gaps and identifying how best to prevent maternal and newborn deaths in the future. We look forward to working with local partners and the government of Indonesia to ensure high quality data on maternal and newborn mortality.”

The Jalin project aims to bring together Indonesia’s public and private sectors to design and develop innovations to improve health in partnership with local communities and governments. Along with DAI and Vital Strategies, other members of the Jalin program consortium include IntraHealth and MarketShare Associates. The Jalin project will target six key provinces where the burden of maternal and newborn mortality is high, including: West Java, Central Java, East Java, Banten, North Sumatra, and South Sulawesi—as well as communities in Eastern Indonesia.

Jalin is Indonesian for “intertwined or interwoven,” which reflects its mandate to design and develop innovations to improve maternal and newborn health in partnership with local communities and governments. The Jalin project is USAID Indonesia’s flagship investment in maternal and newborn health.

About Vital Strategies

Vital Strategies is a global health organization that believes every person should be protected by a strong public health system. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop and implement sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change. To find out more, please visit vstrategystage.wpengine.com or Twitter @VitalStrat.

For further information or to arrange an interview with a Vital Strategies public health expert, please contact press@vitalstrategies.org.