The partnership between the association Tandia – Förderung von Gesundheit und Bildung in Tansania e.V. and the Monduli District Medical Office (DMO) in northern Tanzania has been in place since 2015 and is aimed at improving maternal and child health by introducing a high-quality ultrasound diagnostic system.
Background:
Having dropped significantly since 1990, the maternal mortality rate in Tanzania has been rising again since 2015. This is caused partly by a lack of professional care during childbirth, the low number of screenings available to each woman and the fact that the nearest hospital is often simply too far away, so rural women in particular end up giving birth at home without assistance.
Activities:
-\tProcuring a suitable ultrasound imaging device
-\tTraining and instructing medical staff in how to use the device
-\tFollow-up training in using the ultrasound imaging device
Impact:
Having a modern ultrasound imaging device available and giving staff the necessary training is enabling patients at the partner hospital to benefit from better diagnostics which, in turn, is leading to quicker and more accurate decisions being made on treatment. In the long term, the improved diagnostic system should also boost patient numbers and bring down the maternal mortality rate thanks to better therapeutic decisions being made at the hospital.