CARE Tanzania’s Community Based Reproductive Health Project (CBRHP) is designed to improve the health of mothers and children in the two intervention districts of Kwimba and Missungwi by decreasing maternal mortality. Interventions focus on reproductive health issues including family planning, care of women before, during and after pregnancy, and treatment and prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. The CBRHP relies heavily on Village Health Workers (VHW) to incorporate project activities at the community level. The CBRHP is working with VHW’s to: 1) develop community-based plans for emergency transport, and 2) generate supervision and incentives for VHW’s. Initial evaluation of community mobilization activities indicates that of the 40 communities where mobilization activities have taken place 35 (88%) have developed transportation plans for emergency obstetrical problems; of the 35 with plans, 54% have made no progress in collecting financial contributions. Sixteen communities made substantive progress on their transport plans and of these, four (4/16-25%) have used the plan for transporting mothers to a facility. Communities with mobilization teams composed of political or community leaders were more likely to have made contributions to a plan. Constraints of using a community mobilization approach to develop sustainable emergency obstetrical transportation and VHW supervision models will be discussed.
Learning Objectives: At the conclusion of this presentation, the participants will: 1) become familiar with the community mobilization approach and it’s use in promoting sustainable models for promoting maternal health; 2) learn about developing evaluation tools to assess project progress.
Keywords: Maternal Health, Community Involvement
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: None
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.