PAHO/WHO
Credit
Paramaribo, Suriname, 8 October 2026 – The Pan American Health Organization/World Health Organization (PAHO/WHO), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Labour (VWA), the Centrale Opleiding voor Verloskundigen in Suriname (COVS), and the national Perinatal Information System (SIP) Working Group, is supporting a national training session to strengthen the collection, management, analysis, and use of maternal and newborn health data in Suriname.
The training brings together approximately 50 midwives, midwifery students, and other maternal and newborn health professionals from hospitals, health services, training institutions, and districts across the country. Participants include obstetricians and gynecologists, neonatal care providers, health information officers, epidemiologists, programme managers, Elimination of Mother-to-Child Transmission (EMTCT) coordinators, and SIP focal points.
Developed by PAHO/WHO through its Latin American Center for Perinatology, Women and Reproductive Health (CLAP/SMR), SIP is a standardized information system designed to support the collection, analysis, and monitoring of maternal, perinatal, and neonatal health data. By improving the availability and quality of health information, SIP enables health professionals and decision-makers to monitor trends, identify gaps, and guide actions to improve maternal and newborn health services.
The training focuses on practical skills in SIP data entry, validation, analysis, and reporting. Participants are learning how to generate and interpret key maternal and perinatal health indicators, strengthen data quality, and use routinely collected information to support programme monitoring, quality improvement, and evidence-informed decision-making. Particular attention is given to the use of SIP data to support national efforts toward the elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV, syphilis, and hepatitis B.
Participants represent institutions including St. Vincentius Hospital, Diakonessen Ziekenhuis, MMC Nickerie, and COVS, as well as health services from the districts Commewijne, Marowijne, Coronie, Saramacca, Wanica, Brokopondo, and Sipaliwini.
Beyond strengthening individual competencies, the initiative contributes to Suriname’s broader efforts to progressively implement and institutionalize SIP across maternity hospitals and other health facilities. By involving professionals from different institutions and districts, the training also seeks to build a network of skilled SIP users who can support the continued adoption and expansion of the system nationwide.
Through this collaboration, PAHO/WHO and its national partners are helping to strengthen the foundation for a more reliable, integrated, and sustainable perinatal health information system in Suriname.
Better data. Better information. Better decisions. Better care for mothers and newborns.
