(February 2, 2017, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania) – Today, Thamini Uhai handed over its maternal health program in Pwani Region to the Regional Commissioner, Engineer Ernest Kidnilo. Thamini Uhai has worked in cooperation with the district government over the past eight years, and the long-planned handover is part of Thamini Uhai’s sustainability strategy. The event took place at Zimbwini Primary School in Kibiti District and was attended by local government officials, representatives of civil society and the media.
Commenting on the handover, Dr. Nguke Mwakatundu, Executive Director, Thamini Uhai, said: “Today marks a real milestone. Thamini Uhai has improved health facilities, introduced task-shifting and trained and supported staff to increase access to high quality maternal health care and comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmONC), saving the lives of mothers and their babies in Pwani. We are proud to hand over the fruits of our work to the regional government, so it can fully own and manage this work going forward. Thamini Uhai continues to support government efforts to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality across Tanzania. As a sign of that commitment, I am happy to announce that we will continue to provide expert advice to staff in the Pwani facilities, helping to ensure the sustainability of the program.”
Thamini Uhai has worked to improve maternal health and access to emergency obstetric care in Pwani since 2009. There has been a significant increase in the use of health facilities as a result of Thamini Uhai’s interventions, with 1527 deliveries recorded at Kibiti Health Centre in 2016, compared with just 331 in 2009. At Utete District Hospital, 1422 deliveries were recorded in 2016, compared with 914 in 2011. Women with obstetric emergencies are now able to access potentially life-saving caesarean sections and vacuum extractions in Pwani. While no caesarean section deliveries were performed in Kibiti HC in 2009, 574 such deliveries had been recorded by 2016 – an average of 82 per year. In addition, 262 vacuum extractions have been performed in Kibiti HC since 2009 – an average of 44 vacuum extractions per year. In Utute Hospital, 189 vacuum extractions have been performed since 2011 – an average of 31 vacuum extractions per year. Improved CEmONC capabilities in Pwani have led to a decrease in the number of obstetric referrals to hospitals in other cities, from 128 in 2011 to 29 in 2016. The number of maternal and perinatal deaths have remained relatively low despite the increased case load and the still birth rate and early neonatal death ratio both declined.
In addition to training, supervising and mentoring 9 non-physician clinicians in CEmONC practice and anaesthesia, Thamini Uhai delivered continuing medical education skills workshops on topics like obstetric anaesthesia, neonatal resuscitation, obstetric haemorrhage, vacuum extractions and IPC to 54 health workers (32 from Utete Hospital and 22 from Kibiti HC). In addition, Thamini Uhai invested in infrastructure, so health facilities in the region are better equipped to provide emergency obstetric care. In Kibiti Health Center, Thamini Uhai built an Operating Theatre and strengthened the solar power and water supply.
To help sustain the impact of its work to date, Thamini Uhai experts will continue to undertake regular, supportive supervision visits to the facilities in Pwani and deliver guidance and continuous professional development for health workers in these facilities through scheduled teleconferences and an emergency call line that provides expert telephone consultations during obstetric emergencies.
About Thamini Uhai
Since 2008, Thamini Uhai (formerly known as World Lung Foundation Tanzania) has worked to help reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by improving access to good-quality, comprehensive emergency obstetric care (CEmONC) in the community, particularly in rural and isolated areas where patients previously had to travel three to four hours to the nearest hospital. The program strategy is to support innovative cross-channel communication and community campaigns to increase the use of health facilities and family planning; improve facilities; and train and support non-physician clinicians to deliver emergency obstetric care. Across Kigoma, Morogoro, Nguruka, and Pwani regions:
- Thamini Uhai has actively upgraded, renovated or rebuilt 15 rural health centers and district hospitals, and supports a further five facilities. It also supports 18 dispensaries in high catchment areas, to improve access to high quality skilled birth attendance and Basic Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (BEmONC) services.
- More than 100 assistant medical officers, nurse-midwives, and clinical officers have been trained in comprehensive emergency obstetric care or anesthesia.
- Health center utilization for delivery has increased substantially, from about 21,661 deliveries in the program-supported facilities in 2011, to 26,189 deliveries in 2015.
The program has received financial support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, Blue Lantern, Fondation H&B Agerup, and Svenska Postkod Stiftelsen and Thamini Uhai is an affiliate of Vital Strategies.
To find out more, please visit, please visit www.thaminiuhai.or.tz or Twitter @ThaminiUhai, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/ThaminiUhai/
Maria Sarungi-Tsehai, msarungi-tsehai@vitalstrategies.org, +255 784235215
About Vital Strategies
Vital Strategies envisions a world where every person is protected by a strong public health system. Our team combines evidence-based strategies with innovation to help develop sound public health policies, manage programs efficiently, strengthen data systems, conduct research, and design strategic communication campaigns for policy and behavior change. Vital Strategies is an affiliate of The International Union Against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease (The Union).
To find out more, please visit vstrategystage.wpengine.com or Twitter @VitalStrat
For further information or to arrange an interview with a Vital Strategies public health and maternal health expert, please contact Tracey Johnston, Vital Strategies, at +44.7889.081.170 or tjohnston@vitalstrategies.org