This study intended to establish the outcome of DOH’s Unang Yakap Lecture as an interventional tool in increasing the knowledge and practices of Nurses and Midwives on the Essential Newborn Care in selected municipalities in Zamboanga Sibugay. The research was conducted at the Rural Health Units’ Lying-in facilities of Siay, Kabasalan, and Ipil, Zamboanga Sibugay where a total of 42 Nurses and Midwives were directly involve in handling maternal deliveries. The research is a quantitative, pre and post interventional study utilizing EINC lecture with nurses and midwives as study participants. The DOH’s standard EINC training questionnaires and evaluation checklist was employed enabling the assessment and analysis of respondent’s knowledge and practices. Each respondent was assessed through direct observation on handling maternal deliveries and patient interview on performing newborn care. Out of 42 respondents, 33 were evaluated in which 30 of them passed and improved their practices in terms of performing the four essential core steps of EINC. Data examination applied through Paired T-test and Mc Nemar Analysis to evaluate improvements in knowledge and practices. Apparent increases on the results in knowledge showed mean scores in pre test, post test 1, and pot test 2 of 6.79, 8.71, and 9.67 respectively. It is concluded that the Lecture on EINC as an intervention was effective in improving the knowledge and practices of respondents in this study.

Keyword: Unang Yakap lecture Essential Newborn Care maternal and child health siay