We are on a visit to Kibiti with the World Lung Foundation where we discover the difference their investment makes in a health centre.
In Kibiti, Coast Region a health centre has recorded an increase of delivery services from 35 women per month to over 100. “Obviously lives are saved because of improved services especially, c-section from the support of the World Lung Foundation (WLF) who built a well equipped theatre.” Says Rose Mlay of White Ribbon Alliance (WRATZ), running Wajibika Mama Aishi Campaign.We were on a visit to the health centre alongside head of WLF Dr. Nguke Mwakatundu who elaborated how the organization has been contributing to Government of Tanzania’s efforts to reduce maternal and newborn deaths by improving women’s access to good quality, comprehensive emergency obstetric and neonatal care (CEmONC) in the country through its maternal health project,since 2008.Here is a summary and project update from Dr. Mwakatundu:“The project works in three regions (Kigoma, Morogoro and Pwani) supporting 15 health facilities to bring quality CEmONC services to rural, isolated populations. WLF upgrades health centers, strengthens hospitals, trains and mentors assistant medical officers to provide emergency obstetric care including cesarean sections and nurse-midwives/clinical officers to provide anesthesia.In 2013, an ecologic evaluation to assess the project intervention’s contribution to the reduction in adverse pregnancy outcomes in the intervention districts in Kigoma region was done by US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.Key results of the evaluation include decreased maternal mortality, improved aversion of maternal deaths, improved and expanded EmONC and improved distribution of care. Some details on results:i) improved aversion of maternal deaths:18% decrease of maternal mortality between 2011 and 2012,largely in project supported sites, an estimated 321 maternal deaths were averted and 9,834 major direct obstetric complications were successfully treated due to access to EmONC in Kigoma, over 70% of these happening in the project-supported facilities, ii) Improved EmONC: All project supported health centers and hospitals performed nine signal functions in previous 12 months, the Cesarean-section rate in health centers increased from 3.1% to 6.3% between 2011 and 2013 likely due to upgrades to project-supported health centers’ operating theaters.iii) Expanded EmONC: Over 10% increase in number of institution deliveries with two-thirds of births in hospitals and health centers occurring in the project supported facilities supported in the region, the Cesarean-section rate in health centers increased from 3.1% to 6.3% between 2011 and 2013 likely due to upgrades to project-supported health centers’ operating theaters.iv) Improved distribution of care: Kigoma has now reached the minimum number of CEmONC facilities per 500,000 population (as recommended by WHO).”Mama Ye! Applauds WLF for so many lives saved, hope and relief to women living far and near the facilities is evident as a new mother in Kibiti explained that for her second baby she did not need to travel far to attend ante-natal clinic nor for delivery of her healthy baby girl.