The program's services cover residents in the city of São Paulo. Future mothers are screened for diseases to ID high-risk pregnancies, to ensure all receive at least 6 pre-natal visits. Each woman is issued cards that track number of visits and developments, as well as one for free public transportation. The program offers counseling services on their rights, health, breastfeeding, etc. High-risk mothers are screened closely by healthcare practitioners, who call them in case of missed appointments. If the mother successfully attends all programmed pre-natal exams, they receive a bag with clothes for the baby at the hospital.
The program has an inventory of all available delivery beds in city (2,000) and work to steer women to appropriate and available facility. Every woman in program receives a visit from an outreach worker while they are in the hospital after delivery. Babies are tested for any disability or conditions. Follow up with the child goes throughout their first year of age. At the end of the program all women are surveyed to determine satisfaction and screen performance of doctors.
Since its inception in March 2006, 445,426 pregnant women have been accredited, and 461,582 babies have been delivered in the program hospital network. There are in average 10,000 births/month and 100,000 pregnant women in system at any given time. The numbers of patients completing all 6 pre-natal visits has gone from 10% to 80%. Transmission of syphilis and maternal mortality due to hypertension has decreased. Child visits within first 15 days of birth have gone from 15% to 82%.
