We recently participated in a research internship at Great Lakes University of Kisumu, Kenya, that brought together colleagues from five low- and middle-income countries. The question of how to meet the Millennium Development goal for maternal health was a recurring point of discussion. Interns observed that while some progress has been made, high maternal mortality ratios, late and infrequent antenatal visits, and a substantial proportion of deliveries being assisted by unskilled birth attendants in many parts of Sub-Saharan Africa indicate that much remains to be done (Crowe, Utley, Costello, & Pagel, 2012).We reflected on the state of the evidence, successes and gaps, and efforts being made to address what at times seems an intransigent problem. We asked ourselves: How can nurses and midwives use research to make a difference, and would a health-system lens provide a different orientation to our research approach?
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