Project profile — Community-Based Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Services

• Tanzania (100.00%)

• Basic Health: Basic health infrastructure (12230) (35.00%)
• Population policy and administrative management:
Population policy and administrative management (13010) (20.00%)
Reproductive health care (13020) (5.00%)
Personnel development for population and reproductive health (13081) (40.00%)

• Gender equality (significant objective)
• Environmental sustainability (cross-cutting) (significant objective)
• Participatory development and good governance (not targeted)
• Trade development (not targeted)
• Biodiversity (not targeted)
• Climate change mitigation (not targeted)
• Climate Change Adaptation (not targeted)
• Urban issues (not targeted)
• Desertification (not targeted)
• Children's issues (significant objective)
• Youth Issues (significant objective)
• Indigenous Issues (not targeted)
• Disability (not targeted)
• ICT as a tool for development (not targeted)

This project aims to reduce the number of deaths among mothers, newborns, and young children by improving the health services available in four rural districts in Rukwa and Mwanza Regions. It supports Tanzania in achieving national targets for reducing child mortality and improving maternal health (Millennium Development Goals 4 and 5). The project is designed to provide women with greater access to good-quality, reliable health services. It helps to ensure that district health facilities offer essential health services for women and children; it provides training for health care workers in emergency care for pregnant women, new mothers, and newborn babies; and it strengthens the management and supervision practices in health care facilities. The project is also designed to improve the ability of men and women in these communities to recognize, prevent, and respond to maternal and child health issues. The project includes: organizing community events and mass media campaigns, training community theatre groups, and selecting peer youth educators and male champions to raise awareness about potential health issues; conducting home visits to provide pre-natal and post-natal care and care for newborns and young children; and equipping community health workers to provide services in remote areas and to refer patients to health centres where necessary. The project places special emphasis on the role that men can play in helping to improve the health of women and children. This project is expected to benefit 309,000 women of childbearing age and over 306,000 children under five. Plan International Canada and Plan International’s office in Tanzania are working in partnership with Jhpiego and Africare to support the efforts of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to strengthen Tanzania’s health systems and to implement its National Road Map Strategic Plan to Accelerate Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Deaths in Tanzania. This project is part of Canada’s maternal, newborn, and child health commitment.

N/A

Results achieved as of the end of the project include: (1) the percentage of live births at health facilities has increased to 80%, up from 55% in 2012; (2) four operating theatres were constructed and equipped at four health centres to provide comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn health care services in remote areas; (3) 5,123 community health workers conducted 980,000 home visits to promote better maternal, newborn and child health practices; (4) 65% of pregnant women are receiving antenatal care at least four times during pregnancy, up from 39% in 2012; and(5) exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months increased to 49%, up from 17% in 2012. Results achieved as of March 2014 include: (1) the percentage of women delivering at health facilities increased from 50% in September 2013 to 72% by March 2014; (2) the percentage of women who received post-natal care within two days of childbirth has increased from an average of 33% in 2011 to 78%; (3) 273 health care workers and 110 medical attendants were trained on basic emergency obstetric and newborn care; (4) 5,160 community health workers (2,357 women) were trained on maternal, newborn and child health guidelines and birth registration, and equipped with bicycles and other essential materials to do their jobs; and (5) 556,562 home visits were conducted by March 2014 for post-natal and newborn care. These results have contributed to improving the quality of maternal, newborn and child health services in underserved communities in five districts of Tanzania, particularly for women of childbearing age.

• Proactive disclosure