Accessible and effective antenatal and sexual health care for rural women and girls in Tanzania

This project aims to improve maternal and newborn health among remote and marginalized populations in Tanzania by providing access to synchronous mobile ultrasound technology. Project activities include: (1) training front-line health workers to effectively use remote ultrasound technology and identify high-risk cases for referral; (2) training front-line health workers to increase awareness of ultrasound benefits and safety through counselling and routine services; (3) promoting antenatal care services in target communities and countering socio-cultural and gender beliefs preventing care seeking; (4) training and mentoring health managers to plan monitor manage and evaluate gender-responsive antenatal care and sexual and reproductive health service delivery; and (5) collecting data on remote antenatal care activities to contribute to evidence-based policy improvements. Canadian Physicians for Aid and Relief implements this project in collaboration with local partners. This includes Upendo na Matumaini (UMATU) Tanzania’s ministry of health regional and district medical offices and the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania.

The expected outcomes of this project include: (1) increased use of comprehensive antenatal care services including routine ultrasound by rural women in target districts; (2) increased awareness of antenatal care services contraception sexual and reproductive health and rights gender-based violence and related issues among women men and adolescents in target districts; and (3) supported effective adoption and integration of innovative antenatal care technology and practices into existing health systems in Tanzania.