Causes of maternal deaths and delays in care: Comparison between routine maternal death surveillance and response system and an obstetrician expert panel in Tanzania
Background: To reduce maternal mortality Tanzania introduced Maternal Death Surveillance and Response (MDSR) system in 2015 as recommended by World Health Organization (WHO). All health facilities are to notify and review all maternal deaths inorder to recommend quality improvement actions to reduce deaths in future. The system relies on consistent and correct categorization of causes […]
Knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness among expecting couples in rural Tanzania: Differences by sex cross-sectional study
Background Inadequate knowledge of birth preparedness and complication readiness (BPCR) among expecting couples delays timely access to maternal emergency services. The aim of this study was to assess knowledge on birth preparedness and complication readiness and how men and women differ” among expecting couples in a rural setting of Rukwa Region, Tanzania. Methods A community-based […]
Causes of perinatal death at a tertiary care hospital in Northern Tanzania 2000-2010: A registry based study
Background: Perinatal mortality reflects maternal health as well as antenatal, intrapartum and newborn care, and is an important health indicator. This study aimed at classifying causes of perinatal death in order to identify categories of potentially preventable deaths.Methods: We studied a total of 1958 stillbirths and early neonatal deaths above 500 g between July 2000 […]
Using the theory of planned behavior to explain birth in health facility intention among expecting couples in a rural setting Rukwa Tanzania: A cross-sectional survey
Background: According to the theory of planned behavior, an intention to carry out a certain behavior facilitates action. In the context of birth in health facility, the intention to use health facilities for childbirth may better ensure better maternal and neonatal survival. Little is known on the influence of the domains of theory of planned […]
A Comprehensive Approach to Improving Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care in Kigoma, Tanzania
Introduction: To address high levels of maternal mortality in Kigoma, Tanzania, stakeholders increased women’s access to high-quality comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) by decentralizing services from hospitals to health centers where EmONC was delivered mostly by associate clinicians and nurses. To ensure that women used services, implementers worked to continuously improve and sustain […]
Experiences of and responses to disrespectful maternity care and abuse during childbirth; a qualitative study with women and men in Morogoro Region, Tanzania
Background: Interventions to reduce maternal mortality have focused on delivery in facilities, yet in many low-resource settings rates of facility-based birth have remained persistently low. In Tanzania, rates of facility delivery have remained static for more than 20 years. With an aim to advance research and inform policy changes, this paper builds on a growing body […]
Determinants of postnatal care utilization in sub-Saharan Africa: a meta and multilevel analysis of data from 36 sub-Saharan countries
Introduction: Globally, over 65% of maternal deaths occur during the first 42 days of postpartum while the same proportion of neonatal deaths occur during the first 7 days of life. In sab- Saharan Africa, 4.7 million mothers, newborns, and children die on annual basis. As to our knowledge, there is no study on postnatal care […]
The cost-effectiveness of using results-based financing to reduce maternal and perinatal mortality in Malawi
Introduction Results-based financing (RBF) is being promoted to increase coverage and quality of maternal and perinatal healthcare in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) countries. Evidence on the cost-effectiveness of RBF is limited. We assessed the cost-effectiveness within the context of an RBF intervention, including performance-based financing and conditional cash transfers, in rural Malawi. Methods We used a […]
The tipping point of antenatal engagement: A qualitative grounded theory in Tanzania and Zambia
Background: Effective antenatal care is fundamental to the promotion of positive maternal and new-born outcomes. International guidance recommends an initial visit in the first trimester of pregnancy, with a minimum of four antenatal visits in total: the optimum schedule being eight antenatal contacts. In low- and middle-income countries, many women do not access antenatal care […]
Who benefits from increased service utilisation? Examining the distributional effects of payment for performance in Tanzania
Background: Payment for performance (P4P) strategies, which provide financial incentives to health workers and/or facilities for reaching pre-defined performance targets, can improve healthcare utilisation and quality. P4P may also reduce inequalities in healthcare use and access by enhancing universal access to care, for example, through reducing the financial barriers to accessing care. However, P4P may […]
