September 25, 2018

An Update from Tim’s Corner on Contraception Day

By Chloe Manchester, Kupona Foundation Advisory Board Member.

It was a warm Friday morning in May 2018, and the first rain showers of the day had cleared. There was a quiet buzz around the CCBRT Disability Hospital campus in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Patients flowed through the gates, some sitting on benches in the reception area, some mothers holding their children on their laps, or nursing their newborns. For a hospital that serves between 400-600 patients daily, the work was just getting started. That day, I was visiting CCBRT’s Family Planning clinic, Tim’s Corner and meeting with Nurse Bola, Technical Advisor in Nursing.

A group of clients was waiting under the shade of acacia trees on a patio next to the clinic. As I walked up, I found it hard to believe that the brightly painted clinic was once a commercial shipping container. Now, the carefully remodeled container was a safe and comfortable space for clients, CCBRT staff and patients to receive the confidential, high quality family planning care and information they need. In Tanzania, access to high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare is not only a convenience; it can be life saving and can break the cycle of poverty. A young girl is more likely to remain in school and pursue higher education or employment opportunities if she can avoid an unplanned pregnancy. A mother is more likely to safely space her pregnancies if she can access contraceptive methods. And a woman who is recovering from surgery to correct an obstetric fistula can give her body the time it needs to heal.

I felt a great sense of pride to be part of my father’s legacy and I knew he would have been so pleased to see the progress at the clinic that bears his name. This was certainly not my first time at Tim’s Corner, but it has been a few years since my last visit. I could see and feel that there had been many improvements as soon as I walked in. The shelves were stocked with contraception options trusted throughout Tanzania, and all the necessary supplies, medical equipment and educational materials.

Many of the health centers and dispensaries I have visited in Tanzania have struggled to keep basic commodities and supplies in stock. I consistently have heard complaints of staff shortages, lack of space and long wait times for clients. However, Tim’s Corner, located in a busy neighborhood in Tanzania’s largest city, is well stocked and outfitted to serve adolescents, people living with disabilities, and the most marginalized members of the community. My discussion with Bola and the Tim’s Corner nurse-midwife gave me even greater assurance that the clinic was delivering a high standard of care to their clients.

During our visit Bola received a phone call from a young woman. In Tanzania, many nurses and midwives serving in family planning health centers give out their personal cell phone numbers in case their clients have questions about symptoms or need further guidance when using a certain method of contraceptive. After finishing her call, Bola explained that the woman wanted to come in to discuss her contraceptive options on a Saturday. Unfortunately, the clinic is closed on the weekends. The young woman wanted to come at a time when she would not have to worry about being spotted by a neighbor or family member who might happen to be at the hospital. There is still a great deal of social disapproval for unmarried women using contraception, especially adolescents. It is for this reason that we are exploring the possibility of keeping Tim’s Corner open on Saturdays for just a few hours so the adolescent community of Dar es Salaam can comfortably access the care they need.

Staffing can also be a challenge, because if a provider falls ill or goes on leave, services can be interrupted. At the moment, staffing the clinic is the greatest operating expense, but we are committed to ensuring this care remains available to the populations we serve. The impact of high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare cannot be ignored. In addition to the positive impact on an individual’s life, there are farther reaching benefits for the community and Tanzania as a whole. The Post-2015 Copenhagen Consensus1 estimates that for every $1 spent on family planning, $120 is saved. At Tim’s Corner, our services cost an average of $35 per client or family. That means, our program generates over $4,200 in benefits for each client.

Today, on World Contraception Day, I want to invite you to help us reach 500 more women and girls with the care they need. It costs just $35 to deliver counseling to one young man or woman. We can absolutely impact 499 more. To lend your support today, visit the CrowdRise page established in honor of my father and his belief that it is every person’s basic right to reproductive health services.

Asanteni sana. Thank you all so much.

Chloe

1 http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/post-2015-consensus/health-women-children

September 7, 2018

Meet Dr. Timothy: What’s a Vacuum Delivery?

Originally posted on the CCBRT blog

 

“My interest is in helping women give birth – I love what I’m doing,” says Dr. Timothy.

Dr. Timothy Mushi has worked on CCBRT’s Maternal and Newborn Healthcare Capacity Building team since 2013. As a clinical trainer, he supports health workers in 22 capacity building sites to deliver high quality care to mothers and newborns. His most recent training program – held in a series of sessions earlier this year – focused on vacuum-assisted deliveries.

Meet Dr. Timothy

“Mothers in labor need to deliver within a certain time frame,” Dr. Timothy explains. “Prolonged labor isn’t healthy for the mother – it leaves her exhausted and can cause fistula or death. And it certainly isn’t good for the newborn, because it can cause birth asphyxia.” If a woman is eligible, trained nurses and doctors can use a vacuum device to ensure that babies are delivered during the appropriate window of time. Put simply, “when vacuum rates go up, fistula goes down.”

The procedure only takes 10 to 15 minutes, requiring much shorter preparation and recovery time than a Cesarean section. “The vacuum can have negative side effects if done poorly,” warns Dr. Timothy, “so that’s why we focus on training.” In this latest round, Dr. Timothy worked with 97 providers in seven of the busiest Dar es Salaam health facilities. His sessions consist of a brief classroom-like training to identify existing skills, followed by on-the-job training to fill knowledge gaps and give health workers a chance to perform the procedure with his assistance. From March to April, 42 vacuum-assisted deliveries were done under his supervision. Average skill scores of participants increased from 53% to 85% at the conclusion of the training.

Stories from the field demonstrate just how important this work is. Dr. Timothy recalls entering a busy labor ward one morning, where the doctor on-call was finishing his eighth Cesarean section since the night before. Exhausted, he asked Dr. Timothy to look after the final woman waiting for surgery.

“I reviewed the client and discovered that the baby was low enough for a vacuum extraction,” says Dr. Timothy. He performed a successful vacuum-assisted delivery, avoiding the need for surgery altogether. “The doctor observed my procedure and insisted that he would not leave until he learned how to do one, too. And the mother had not wanted an operation – she was so thankful for our help.”

August 31, 2018

New Private Clinic 101

Originally posted on the CCBRT blog

We’re excited to announce that after three years of construction, the new CCBRT Private Clinic building opened in July.

Confused about what our Private Clinic is, or how it differs from our standard services? Today we’re answering your questions.

What is the Private Clinic?

In 2004, CCBRT started offering private services to help subsidize the cost of care provided to patients who cannot afford crucial health services. Since then, the clinic has grown substantially: last year it served 7,608 new patients and provided 11,630 consultations. The revenue it generated was reinvested into the provision of CCBRT’s standard services, ultimately funding treatment for 20% of the hospital’s patients.

Although physically separate from the rest of the hospital, the Private Clinic offers the same high-quality ophthalmology, optometry, orthopedics and rehabilitation services, in addition to ear, nose and throat (ENT) and gynecological services. Patients at the Private Clinic can book appointments in advance over the phone, and the clinic building offers air conditioning, free internet and waiting room televisions.

What’s special about the new Private Clinic building?
The new building expands CCBRT’s current Private Clinic space by 300%,giving us more room to accommodate more patients in our current service areas, and to expand into new services.

In addition to our existing private service areas – ophthalmology, optical, orthopedics, physiotherapy, ENT and gynecology – the expanded clinic will offer a well baby and pediatric clinic, and will ultimately provide general medicine consultations. As well as a larger optical shop, the clinic will contain its own pharmacy and a phlebotomy lab for patients to visit for bloodwork and lab tests.

With large windows and motion sensor lights, the clinic is both well lit and energy efficient. Disability-accessible toilets are located on each floor, and the building’s four levels are connected by both stairs and elevators. As in the existing Private Clinic, patients will have air conditioning and free wi-fi. Visitors to the clinic can park in the parking lot close to the building’s main entrance on Ali Bin Said Road.

Why does CCBRT need a Private Clinic?
CCBRT provides life-changing care to thousands of Tanzanians living with disabilities every year. To ensure that everyone who needs our services is able to access them, we provide high-quality treatment to our patients at highly subsidized rates or free of charge. We believe cost shouldn’t be a barrier to healthcare.

The Private Clinic doesn’t only enable us to reach more Tanzanians with high quality medical services – it also helps make our accessible model sustainable in the long term. “Our goal is to be the major donor for CCBRT,” says Rehema Ngamilo, General Manager for Private Services. “Our goal is to give back to CCBRT so that we can give back to the community.”

What are the Private Clinic’s hours?
In addition to new space and new services, the new clinic will also offer extended hours for some service areas. The eye clinic, orthopedic clinic, optical shop and pharmacy will be open from 7:30am to 8pm from Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturday. ENT will maintain its current hours: 7:30am to 4pm Monday to Friday. Hours for the gynecology, well baby and pediatric, physiotherapy and general medicine clinics will be set following the clinic’s opening.

August 24, 2018

Kupona’s 3rd Annual ‘A Night (and Round) for Health & Hope’ raises over $47,000

Last night, we were delighted to host our third annual event at Saratoga National Golf Club. The generous support of Kupona’s sponsors and the Saratoga Springs-area community helped us raise over $47,000 to provide life-saving and life-changing healthcare services to children living with disabilities, women and newborns.

The foursome from Beebe Financial Services preparing to golf for good.

We were so fortunate to have a beautiful day for our golfers and guests. Teams golfed for health and hope on Saratoga National’s stunning golf course, and were joined by friends and family in the evening for a cocktail reception and live music from local artist Leah Woods.

Competition was fierce at the silent auction table, and one lucky raffle winner became the new owner of a piece live painted by artist David Hill. The very popular Mabinti Centre items were featured for a third year and were quickly snatched up by guests.

Guests listening to the evening’s remarks

During the evening’s remarks, Kupona’s Executive Director, Abbey Seaboyer Kocan shared an update on the impact our local community has had on the lives of people we are serving in Tanzania. She contrasted how a child born with a birth defect in the U.S. can access necessary medical care, and in many cases you would never know that child was born with a disability. In Tanzania, disability can be a life sentence to poverty. A child born with clubfoot, like Lita, will become permanently disabled and trapped in a cycle of poverty if she is unable to access quality care. That is where Kupona’s supporters and friends come in. $47,000 could provide 293 children just like Lita with the treatment they need to run, walk, and go to school.

One of the most important aspects of Kupona’s work is our focus on sustainability, helping our Tanzanian partner, CCBRT, on the journey toward becoming a social enterprise. We are doing this by harnessing the demand for high quality healthcare in Tanzania’s growing middle class, and providing an in-country opportunity for them to receive high quality services such as cataract surgeries and knee replacements. Clients are willing and able to pay more for ‘premium’ services (which are appointment based and offer an air-conditioned waiting room, for example) allowing us to provide subsidized and free care for those who cannot afford it.

Not only are we focused on financial sustainability, but also embedding high quality care and practices into the existing Tanzanian healthcare system. Our community’s generosity will help us continue to equip clinical teams with the live-saving skills they need to provide expert, quality care to women and newborns in need. By training healthcare workers to train others, we ensure that quality of care will be available for years to come.

A huge thank you goes to our generous Patron sponsors, The Gorman Group and WCC, LCC.

Thanks to our Ally Sponsors Beebe Financial Services, D.A. Collins, Tom & Laurie Longe, Bob & Denise Schwed and Steve & Debby Seaboyer.

And with thanks to our Bar Sponsor Galusha & Sons, LLC, our Event Sponsors Tim & Liz Ostrander and Bob and Mary Grace Manz, and our Friend of Kupona sponsors.

We are also grateful for the amazing staff at Saratoga National Golf Club, our golf committee, Tom Longe and Steve Seaboyer, and Leah Woods and David Hill for making the event such a success.

We invite you to stay involved with this work. Why? Because it’s your support that is breaking the cycle of poverty for thousands of people in Tanzania. Here’s how you can help:

Help us provide high quality maternal healthcare to more mothers and newborns in Tanzania

We have a goal of raising another $10,000 to enable us to invest in what it will take to ensure that the opening of our new Maternity & Newborn Hospital in 2019 is a success, and to reach more children with the care they need today.

  • Donate today! A gift of $160 will support a child living with a disability, improve their mobility and give them the chance to learn and play.
  • Join us with a donation of $5,000 to help us make the necessary investments in start up costs for the new maternity hospital.
  • Learn more! Check out your impact in our newly released 2017 Annual Report.
  • Reach out to someone who might want to learn more: a friend, colleague, minister, or neighbor.
  • Follow us on social media. We’re on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and Twitter

We’re so proud to call Saratoga Springs home and so grateful for the incredible generosity and support of this community.  Thank you.

May 22, 2018

Seventh Annual Cocktail Reception Raises Over $16,000

Increasing access to high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare

On May 17th, Kupona Board Member James Mann hosted our seventh annual Cocktail Reception at his beautiful New York City home in support of our work to make high quality sexual and reproductive healthcare more accessible to women and girls in Tanzania. Our guests and supporters raised over $16,000, unlocking access to quality services for 457 women and girls.

One of the highlights of the evening was a short film from the field, featuring interviews with CCBRT’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Bedan Gichanga, and Bola Abbas, Technical Advisor in Nursing.

Three key themes stood out from their message:

  1. Family planning saves lives

As Dr. Bedan shared, with access to and uptake of family planning methods, “The likelihood of mothers and newborns dying during childbirth is reduced significantly because the births are spaced, and mothers have adequate time to recover from their initial pregnancy.”

  1. Family planning breaks the cycle of poverty

In addition to its life-saving impact, family planning can also break the cycle of poverty. For young women and girls, the use of family planning means they are more likely to remain in school by avoiding unplanned pregnancy, and, as Dr. Bedan states, family planning can be very important to mothers looking to provide for their families. “The use of family planning…will [also] improve the productivity of mothers – because they’re not pregnant every year and they can be gainfully employed.”

  1. The return on investment is hard to ignore

According to the research from the Post-2015 Consensus 1, the return on investment for family planning is $120 for every $1 spent. At CCBRT, it costs just $35 to deliver family planning counseling to one person, meaning our program generates over $4,200 in benefits for every person served.

The potential impact of sexual and reproductive healthcare is huge, which is why we are delighted to support efforts to break down barriers to access for the communities we serve. There are already plans to integrate family planning across the full spectrum of care at the CCBRT Maternity and Newborn Hospital, opening in 2019. In the meantime, the team is integrating family planning into CCBRT’s disability services, providing women recovering from obstetric fistula with the knowledge and tools to safely plan future pregnancies, and enabling other patients and caregivers visiting the hospital to seek services during a single trip to the hospital – making CCBRT a ‘one stop shop’ for good health.

More photos from Thursday’s event are now live on our Facebook page. Thank you again to everyone who joined us on the night and gave so generously!

Want to learn more about our work or join us for a future event? Sign up for our mailing list to receive periodic updates straight to your inbox, or indicate your interest in joining us for future events.

  1. http://www.copenhagenconsensus.com/post-2015-consensus/health-women-children
May 21, 2018

“They need to know that there is life after fistula”

Originally posted on the CCBRT blog

“I always do the night shift, so I have lots of time to talk,” says nurse Damaris in the fistula ward. In fact, talking is part of her job. Damaris is one of very few nurses in Tanzania trained in counseling – an essential service for women recovering from obstetric fistula, most of whom have experienced great emotional trauma before accessing treatment.

We recognize that women and girls recovering from fistula require a comprehensive team of health professionals – from surgeons to counselors – for holistic recovery. That’s why we invest in training for nurses like Damaris. Before joining the team on the fistula ward, Damaris completed training at a nearby university to become a counselor. She explains: “Working with women recovering from fistula is emotional. After training, I can be strong to help carry their burden and help them move past their painful experiences.”

Damaris adds, “Even if women are physically healed from fistula, without counseling they are only halfway toward recovery. They need to know that there is life after fistula. They can return to their communities. They can connect with friends and family. They can start their own business.”

Meet Damaris

Damaris recalls one patient specifically, with a complicated case of two fistulae. Damaris noticed her patient’s distress – she didn’t talk to anyone and spent all of her time alone. In counseling, she began to open up to Damaris about her experience of abandonment: “I’m not even wanted by my own mother and father,” she revealed. But Damaris knew her future was bright. “I told her that everything was possible, that she would go back happy. And that I would support her every day until she went home dry.” The woman made a full recovery, and months later, she and Damaris still talk on the phone.

What inspires Damaris’ commitment to women with fistula? “They are women just like me. Their stories should be heard. Even though I can’t solve everything, I know that talking makes a big difference.”

There is great need for psychological support for women recovering from fistula in Tanzania. Damaris hopes that CCBRT can continue to train more fistula nurses in specialized counseling skills – “especially nurses on the night shift!”

May 14, 2018

Partnerships for Progress: Improving the health and wellbeing of children with disabilities

This month, Kupona Foundation launched a new partnership with the Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation to strengthen the comprehensive network of support available to children with disabilities and their families in Tanzania.

Funds will support training for parents/carers of children with disabilities, helping them to provide quality support for their children at home. Training will also be provided to government healthcare providers to strengthen delivery of rehabilitative services in healthcare facilities and community support units. At the community level, community events will increase awareness of rehabilitation services and promote inclusion. The grant will also facilitate knowledge exchanges between CCBRT and its peers in order to strengthen the network of community based inclusive development providers in the East Africa region. Combined, these activities will drive the sustainability of CCBRT’s established rehabilitation services, making quality care accessible to more children and their families.

Ken Goody, Foundation Executive at the Dorothea Haus Ross Foundation said, “At the Ross Foundation, we focus on alleviating the suffering experienced by vulnerable children and, when possible, strive toward the elimination of its root causes. We are thrilled to expand the Ross Foundation’s footprint in Tanzania by supporting this globally respected rehabilitation program, to make sustainable investments that strengthen the quality of rehabilitative care available to children with disabilities and their families.”

Unlocking opportunities for children with disabilities

Addressing disability during a child’s formative years is crucial to mitigate the impact of disability on health and development. More than half of children with disabilities in Tanzania do not attend school, limiting their access to education and future economic opportunity. Raising a child with a lifelong disability is also a significant challenge for parents and caregivers. With 86% of the Tanzanian population at risk of falling deeper into poverty because of healthcare expenses, families of a child with a disability are at particular risk for extreme poverty if they are unable to access affordable care for their child. Stigma associated with disability in Tanzanian communities also leaves children and their families excluded from their communities, and without a strong system of support. The dearth of skilled healthcare workers across the Tanzanian healthcare system exacerbates these challenges.

A comprehensive solution

CCBRT delivers high quality, specialist services at two rehabilitation centers: one in Moshi, serving rural communities in the north of Tanzania, and one in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s largest city. At these centers, CCBRT delivers high quality physiotherapy and occupational therapy, as well as special seating services and provision of assistive devices, including standing frames, prostheses and orthoses. In the community, CCBRT has established a network of Community Support Units in both Dar es Salaam and Moshi for the families of children with disabilities, providing a place for families to gather with their children, receive support from a trained physiotherapist/occupational therapist and develop a peer support system. CCBRT conducts home visits and community outreach to ensure long term support and follow up is provided to children with disabilities and their families in their home environment. CCBRT also uses training, lobbying and community awareness activities to build the capacity of parents, communities and government healthcare providers. This enables these groups to embrace their roles as primary caregivers and brings quality care closer to communities.

Abbey Kocan, Executive Director of Kupona Foundation said, “CCBRT has a 20+ year legacy of community-based rehabilitation work. Without trained caregivers and healthcare workers, an engaged and inclusive community, and a strong network of quality care providers, the impact of CCBRT’s efforts to deliver services to vulnerable children would be limited. The Ross Foundation’s contribution will act as a catalyst to enable the success of our overall program. We’re delighted to welcome them to the Kupona Foundation community.”

April 20, 2018

CCBRT Academy: Tackling Human Resources for Health Challenges in Tanzania

Did you know that there is a severe shortage of healthcare workers globally? The shortage is estimated to reach 18 million by 2030.

Did you know that this shortage is hitting countries like Tanzania particularly hard? Sub-Saharan Africa is home to 11% of the world’s population. The region shoulders 24% of the global burden of disease, yet only accounts for 3% of the world’s health workers. Tanzania alone can count on just 5.2 clinical health workers per 10,000 people: one fifth of the optimal ratio recommended by the World Health Organization. The country also lacks sufficient numbers of trained specialists, with only 177 specialist surgeons and fewer than 22 anesthesiologists available to serve a population of over 55 million. The health workforce that does exist has limited access to medical education and professional development.

These shortages have a particularly damaging effect on the health and wellbeing of the most vulnerable, including women, children, and people with disabilities. It also makes it hard for providers, like our partner, CCBRT, to serve their patients, as they struggle to recruit and retain the skilled teams they need to deliver high quality, specialized services. Without well trained, well equipped healthcare workers people simply cannot access the quality of care they need and deserve. And without adequate healthcare, people’s access to education, employment and economic opportunity is limited too.

With the support of the Kupona community, our colleagues at CCBRT have been taking action to train and build the capacity of healthcare workers in Tanzania and further afield for many years. The maternal and newborn healthcare capacity building program empowers nurses like Ladness to save newborn lives. CCBRT’s expert fistula surgeons are sharing their skills with surgeons from around the world. CCBRT also gives its own staff many opportunities for continued professional development.

Until now, CCBRT’s efforts to strengthen the health workforce have been implemented in both CCBRT’s hospital in Dar es Salaam and at partner facilities across the country. They had no dedicated training facility, and no formalized central training program.

That’s all about to change.

Since 2015, with the support of Kupona partners Johnson & Johnson and the UCLA Anderson School of Management, CCBRT has been developing detailed plans for a Center of Excellence in Clinical Education. We’re delighted to announce that these plans will soon become a reality, with the opening of the CCBRT Academy next month.

“[The CCBRT Academy] is the realization of a vision that we have had for a long time here,” says Technical Advisor for Training and Capacity Building Tilman Hannig. Through a unique combination of in-person training, online education and practical, hands-on experience, “it will allow us to better professionalize and develop our own staff, as well as health workers from beyond CCBRT.”

When it’s ready, the training center will include room for meetings, small workshops, large trainings and simulations in a lab mimicking a real hospital setting, and will use CCBRT’s existing computer lab for online courses and digital education. The Academy will be a learning environment of the highest quality to enrich educational experiences for the region’s healthcare heroes.

Indeed, training through the Academy has already launched, starting with a Training of Trainers on clubfoot casting techniques for participants from around world, including 20 from Africa last week. In the coming weeks, the Academy will provide and host trainings on topics ranging from ophthalmology equipment and small incision cataract surgery to customer care and breastfeeding.

We are excited to see the CCBRT Academy thrive, and address one of the most serious challenges facing the healthcare system in Tanzania. As Tilman says, “We have the space. Now we need to fill it with life.”

 
April 6, 2018

Mapping CCBRT’s Impact: Why Do Patients Come From All Over Tanzania?

Originally posted on the CCBRT blog

Last year, CCBRT’s Ophthalmology Department provided more than 70,500 consultations and conducted more than 7,500 surgeries in the main hospital in Dar es Salaam. As you can see on the maps below, the patients who received these services came from all over Tanzania – and even beyond, from other countries in East Africa.

Why do patients come from so far to get eye services at CCBRT?

Since CCBRT first opened in 2001, the hospital has built a nationwide reputation as a provider of high quality eye services. Although options for eye services are gradually becoming more widespread, Tanzania still faces a serious shortage of eyecare professionals: the country currently has only 0.8 ophthalmologists for every one million people.

From the U.S., Kupona is proud to support efforts that increase access to high quality eye health services through fund and awareness raising, and through collaborations with esteemed partners like Lavelle Fund for the Blind. This partnership will support critical financial and technical investments over the next two years, enabling the CCBRT team to scale the provision of low cost, high quality services to people living with blindness or visual impairment in Tanzania, and to sustain these critical services for future generations. 

At CCBRT, the Ophthalmology Department team has decades of experience, including team members like Dr Cyprian Ntomoka, Eye Department Head and Vice President of the Tanzania Ophthalmology Society; Dr Sonia Vaitha, one of only three ophthalmologists in the country specializing in treating children; and Rehema Semindu, Tanzania’s only prosthetic eye technician. Each exemplifies the dedication and specialized knowledge of the department’s 3 specialist ophthalmologists, 2 ophthalmologists, 7 Medical Doctors and Assistant Medical Officers, 5 optometrists, one low vision therapist, and 50 nurses.

This unique expertise is why doctors around Tanzania refer their eye patients to CCBRT, and why people travel from places as far away as Mbeya and Mwanza to seek treatment in our main hospital. 

We are proud of the work the Ophthalmology Department does, and we are committed to leveraging in-house expertise as we continue to fight against avoidable blindness in Tanzania.

January 18, 2018

Recognition Matters for Maternal & Newborn Health

Originally posted on the CCBRT blog

At the end of last year, CCBRT hosted a ceremony to recognize the top performing maternal and newborn health facilities in Dar es Salaam.

CCBRT’s Maternal and Newborn Healthcare Capacity Building Program coordinates a lot of activities: coaching, mentoring and training of health professionals; delivering life saving equipment and supplies to maternity wards; working with hospital management teams to identify problems and find solutions; and so on. But if you ask Manager and Technical Advisor, Dr. Brenda D’mello, about the program’s most unique feature? “Efforts to recognize the extraordinarily hardworking doctors and nurses on the front-line,” she says.

“In order to measure progress in quality of care, we use a tool called SBMR (Standards-Based Management and Recognition). Our program – particularly the ultrasound initiative – truly puts the ‘R’ in ‘SBMR,’” Dr. Brenda explains.

Indeed, last November CCBRT hosted a ceremony to recognize the top performing maternal and newborn health facilities in Dar es Salaam. The ten facilities that received the highest marks in CCBRT’s composite score – measuring everything from target delivery numbers to inclusion of women with disabilities – were awarded ultrasound machines from the Honorable Regional Commissioner of Dar es Salaam.

This “competition” motivated facilities to improve their services for mothers and babies. As one hospital in-charge stated at the ceremony: “Everyone is working very hard and everyone wants to work as hard as they can. Recognition drives us to move forward and brings us to excellence. As Dr. Brenda always says, ‘even a small thing you can do for a health worker will mean everything to them’.” Dr. Brenda sees recognition of healthcare workers as a crucial component of Respectful Maternity Care, describing it as “care for the caregiver.”

Individual healthcare workers were also recognized for excellence in performance. 81 nurses scored above 80% in performance assessments, meeting recognition criteria. Notably, 26 of these nurses scored 100%! CCBRT’s capacity building team is proud of the sites’ accomplishments and incredible progress in the past seven years. In total, average scores on quality of care assessments have increased from 10% in 2010 to 82% in 2017 – leading to a 40% reduction in maternal deaths and 14% reduction in stillbirths.

Copyright Kupona Foundation 2020. All Rights Reserved
Developed by Vittoria Childress.