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Why maternal, neonatal deaths have plunged in five regions
Health workers attend to an expectant mother at a hospital. A new assessment has shown a significant decline in maternal and neonatal deaths in five regions after successful implementation of a health programme that stimulated provision of improved and timely care. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- Remarkable results noted at 30 health facilities in Manyara, Shinyanga, Tabora, Geita and Mwanza regions
Dar es Salaam. A new assessment has shown a significant decline in maternal and neonatal deaths in five regions after successful implementation of a health programme that stimulated provision of improved and timely care.
Called Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC), the programme aimed to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by equipping healthcare workers with essential skills using innovative clinical and training tools, training methods to address common complications during and after childbirth, and promote data use for continuous quality improvement.
Supported by the Global Financing Facility (GFF) and implemented through a public-private partnership, the SBBC programme is a collaborative effort led by Haydom Lutheran Hospital, the Ministry of Health, and other partners, including SAFER, Laerdal Global Health, and the University of Stavanger.
The first phase of the programme (2021–2023) has yielded remarkable results across 30 health facilities in the five implementation regions—Manyara, Shinyanga, Tabora, Geita, and Mwanza.
According to the programme results shared yesterday, the maternal death declined by 75 percent during the three years of implementation while newborn deaths within 24 hours decreased by 40 percent.
The programme reached 300,000 mother-baby pairs while 1,260 healthcare workers were trained.
Other achievements include an 18 percent reduction in perinatal deaths and a 16 percent reduction in perinatal deaths within seven days, according to the statement of the results.
Speaking at the 74th East, Central and Southern Africa Health Ministers’ Conference of February in Lilongwe, Malawi, Tanzanian Minister for Health Jenista Mhagama highlighted the impact of the SBBC programme, noting that the initiative, along with other government-led health strategies, has contributed to a steady decline in maternal and neonatal deaths.
According to Ministry of Health statistics, maternal deaths have decreased from 1,744 in 2018 to 1,477 in 2022, while neonatal deaths have dropped from 11,524 to 6,342 over the same period. The SBBC programme has played a critical role in this progress by equipping healthcare workers with the skills and resources to handle childbirth complications effectively.
Tanzania is making significant progress in achieving Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) which aim to reduce maternal mortality to less than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030.
The SBBC programme, initiated by Haydom Lutheran Hospital, has emerged as a key initiative in the effort, significantly improving maternal and neonatal health outcomes across five regions.
“Our approach ensures healthcare workers are prepared for high-pressure situations,” said the principal Investigator of SBBC, Dr Benjamin Kamala.
“The innovative tools, training, continuous quality improvement, and sustainability are what make the SBBC bundle complete, and they work together as removing one component reduces the impact of the implementation, and it is no longer a bundle,” he added.
According to him, while innovative tools are crucial, they cannot drive change without effective training.
Through the simulations, Dr Kamala said, healthcare workers gain the comfort and competence needed to perform their duties with precision, even in high-pressure situations.
One of the SBBC’s core components is the Low-Dose, High-Frequency (LDHF) training model, which enhances healthcare workers’ skills through repeated, small-scale training sessions.
Midwives also undergo simulation-based training using advanced mannequins that provide real-time feedback, ensuring they are prepared for high-pressure birthing scenarios.
