With the rise in global attention and the need to further accelerate progress on maternal and newborn health (MNH), and reproductive, maternal, newborn, and child health (RMNCH) writ large, the international community has become increasingly focused on accountability to ensure that commitments by all stakeholders are realized. At the same time, global, regional, and national landscapes have become cluttered with various accountability approaches that are often disjointed or incomplete.

To better understand the landscape of MNH accountability programs, this report reviews key global and regional programs and processes and describes potential intervention models that are currently being utilized at the national and sub-national levels in India, Nigeria, and Uganda. With a particular focus on civil society-led accountability approaches, this paper outlines the role that citizens, civil society, and government can play in building partnerships and programs that encourage health system accountability.