A team from the World Health Organization (WHO), recently conducted a supportive supervisory visit in Western Province to highlight the transformative impact of supportive supervision and community engagement in strengthening maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services. Held in partnership with the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and the Ministry of Health and Medical Services (MHMS), the visit enabled the team to closely monitor MNCH health service delivery, identify areas for improvement and make recommendations.
Supportive Supervision: Building Skills and Accountability
Supportive supervision is a vital tool in improving healthcare delivery and data management. It is a major effort by WHO to complement national efforts to improve primary health care quality. By focusing on mentorship, coaching, and collaborative problem-solving, supervisors are helping frontline health workers sharpen their skills, boost morale, and strengthen accountability. Joint visits emphasized the importance of quality service delivery and reliable data systems, which are essential for evidence-based decision-making by health leaders.
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Dr SweetC Alipon, WHO Technical Officer (Vaccine-preventable Diseases and Immunization) during a meeting with Western Province Provincial Health Director, Dr Dickson Boara. Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria
Dr SweetC Alipon, WHO Technical Officer (Vaccine-preventable Diseases and Immunization) during a meeting with Western Province Provincial Health Director, Dr Dickson Boara. Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria
Engaging families in remote communities
Community engagement is a cornerstone of the WHO–KOICA partnership, particularly in remote villages where access to health services is limited. Through integrated community engagement and satellite mobile clinics, health teams delivered essential services to pregnant mothers, children, and community leaders. These sessions included antenatal care (ANC), immunizations and growth monitoring for children, family planning, non-communicable disease (NCD) check-ups, and community education sessions.
These initiatives are already yielding benefits. Mothers in remote areas are receiving timely antenatal care, babies are protected through early immunizations, and families are more empowered to seek care consistently. The programme is also strengthening trust between communities and health providers, ensuring services are responsive to local needs.
Quality Health Services and Data Management
The supervisory visits underscored the importance of quality health services and robust data management which remain a priority to inform planning and resource allocation to strengthen health service delivery. Teams assessed current service delivery and data environments, identified challenges, and recommended strategic actions to improve primary healthcare facilities. Dialogues with local healthcare workers during supervisory visits encouraged them to voice concerns and co-create solutions with provincial authorities.
Western Province Provincial Health Director, Dr Dickson Boara, thanked the WHO for visiting several health facilities in the province. He emphasized the vital role of supportive supervision and community involvement in improving health services for mothers, babies, and children. Dr Boara also highlited some of the challenges faced by these health facilities and reaffirmed Western Province’s commitment to supporting efforts to addressing them.
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The WHO team with Mr Theudas Siota, Gizo Hospital IPC Nurse (second from left) and Dr Dickson Boara, Western Province Provincial Health Director (center). Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria
The WHO team with Mr Theudas Siota, Gizo Hospital IPC Nurse (second from left) and Dr Dickson Boara, Western Province Provincial Health Director (center). Photo: WHO / Esther Nuria
“We are grateful for the support and active participation of the health workers during our visit,” said Dr Yong Sook Yang, WHO Solomon Islands Technical Officer (Maternal and Child Health). “We hope the supervisory visit is able to contribute to improving facilities management, health service delivery and data management.”
At Kogupuana Clinic, Registered Nurse Aide Aubrey Lapo Qoqonokana thanked the visiting team and reiterated the importance of the visit, noting that he had learned new skills, particularly in data management.
Similarly, at Kukudu Rural Health Center, Registered Nurse Tiqudao Asori described the visit as a valuable refresher. “Sometimes when we work in rural communities, we forget some of the most important basic practices, including recording, data management and infection prevention and control (IPC). This supervision visit has reminded me how these practices can strengthen our health system,” said Nurse Asori.
The Way Forward
Looking ahead, WHO and KOICA plan to continue supportive supervision to ensure consistent quality health services and data reporting. Building sustainability through local ownership and training of provincial supervisors will be central to the next phase.
As the partnership advances, supportive supervision and community engagement will remain key pillars in the drive toward universal health coverage, ensuring healthier futures for mothers and children across the Solomon Islands.