Stillbirth mortality by Robson ten-group classification system: A cross-sectional registry of 80 663 births from 16 hospital in sub-Saharan Africa.

OBJECTIVE: To assess stillbirth mortality by Robson ten-group classification and the usefulness of this approach for understanding trends. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Prospectively collected perinatal e-registry data from 16 hospitals in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. POPULATION: All women aged 13-49 years who gave birth to a live or stillborn baby weighting >1000 g between July 2021 and December 2022. METHODS: We compared stillbirth risk by Robson ten-group classification, and across countries, and calculated proportional contributions to mortality. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Stillbirth mortality, defined as antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths. RESULTS: We included 80 663 babies born to 78 085 women; 3107 were stillborn. Stillbirth mortality by country were: 7.3% (Benin), 1.9% (Malawi), 1.6% (Tanzania) and 4.9% (Uganda). The largest contributor to stillbirths was Robson group 10 (preterm birth, 28.2%) followed by Robson group 3 (multipara with cephalic term singleton in spontaneous labour, 25.0%). The risk of dying was highest in births complicated by malpresentations, such as nullipara breech (11.0%), multipara breech (16.7%) and transverse/oblique lie (17.9%). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings indicate that group 10 (preterm birth) and group 3 (multipara with cephalic term singleton in spontaneous labour) each contribute to a quarter of stillbirth mortality. High mortality risk was observed in births complicated by malpresentation, such as transverse lie or breech. The high mortality share of group 3 is unexpected, demanding case-by-case investigation. The high mortality rate observed for Robson groups 6-10 hints for a need to intensify actions to improve labour management, and the categorisation may support the regular review of labour progress.

Medical management of ectopic pregnancy: Case series at a private tertiary hospital, Tanzania.

Ectopic pregnancy is a pregnancy in which the developing blastocyst implants outside the endometrial cavity. An estimated 1.3%-2.4% of pregnancies end up outside the uterus. With prompt diagnosis and efficient treatment, the risks of morbidity and mortality associated with ectopic pregnancy can be reduced. For the treatment of carefully chosen ectopic pregnancies, methotrexate therapy, a folic acid antagonist that is highly toxic to rapidly replicating tissues, produces outcomes comparable to surgery. We describe six cases of ectopic pregnancy which were successfully treated with methotrexate and on follow-up two of them successfully conceived to term delivery. For patients who are physically fit enough, medical management of an ectopic pregnancy with methotrexate should be the first line of treatment to lower surgical morbidity and mortality. Following the administration of the medication, the patient is monitored with a clinical symptom interview and weekly plasma human chorionic gonadotrophin levels checks. When initial human chorionic gonadotrophin levels are extremely high, complete resolution of an ectopic pregnancy can take 6-8 weeks instead of the usual 2-3 weeks. Early diagnosis of ectopic pregnancies is necessary to improve their prognosis. Ectopic pregnancies can be managed medically with methotrexate to preserve fertility. Compared to surgical management, methotrexate therapy appears to have more advantages.

Birth asphyxia and its association with grand multiparity and referral among hospital births: A prospective cross-sectional study in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda.

INTRODUCTION: Birth asphyxia is a leading cause of neonatal mortality in sub-Saharan Africa. The relationship to grand multiparity (GM), a controversial pregnancy risk factor, remains largely unexplored, especially in the context of large multinational studies. We investigated birth asphyxia and its association with GM and referral in Benin, Malawi, Tanzania and Uganda. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This was a prospective cross-sectional study. Data were collected using a perinatal e-Registry in 16 hospitals (four per country). The study population consisted of 80 663 babies (>1000 g, >28 weeks' gestational age) delivered between July 2021 and December 2022. The primary outcome was birth asphyxia, defined by 5-minute appearance, pulse, grimace, activity and respiration score <7. A multilevel and stratified multivariate logistic regression was performed with GM (parity ≥5) as exposure, and birth asphyxia as outcome. An interaction between referral (none, prepartum, intrapartum) and GM was also evaluated as a secondary outcome. All models were adjusted for confounders. CLINICAL TRIAL: Pan African Clinical Trial Registry 202006793783148. RESULTS: Birth asphyxia was present in 7.0% (n = 5612) of babies. More babies with birth asphyxia were born to grand multiparous women (11.9%) than to other parity groups (≤7.6%). Among the 76 850 cases included in the analysis, grand multiparous women had a 1.34 times higher odds of birth asphyxia (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.17-1.54) vs para one to two. Grand multiparous women referred intrapartum had the highest probability of asphyxiation (13.02%, 95% CI 9.34-16.69). GM increased odds of birth asphyxia in Benin (odds ratio [OR] 1.37, 95% CI 1.13-1.68) and Uganda (OR 1.29, 95% CI 1.02-1.64), but was non-significant in Tanzania (OR 1.44, 95% CI 0.81-2.56) and Malawi (OR 0.98, 95% CI 0.67-1.44). CONCLUSIONS: There is some evidence of an increased risk of birth asphyxia for grand multiparous women having babies at hospitals, especially following intrapartum referral. Antenatal counseling should recognize grand multiparity as higher risk and advise appropriate childbirth facilities. Findings in Malawi suggest an advantage of health systems configuration requiring further exploration.

Advancing primary care: Establishing family medicine specialty in Tanzania.

Family medicine has existed as a training pathway through a private university in Tanzania since 2004. As global calls have increased to embrace primary health care as a pathway to ensuring universal health coverage, so has Tanzania recently turned to explore family medicine as a specialty to improve access to comprehensive, high-quality healthcare for her entire population. This article outlines ongoing efforts to define competencies and skills of a family medicine physician in Tanzania, engage government support and open the first public university training programme for family medicine postgraduate education.

A rare case report of tuberculosis endometritis in a private hospital Dar es salaam, Tanzania.

Tuberculosis endometritis is a pathological diagnosis and has been always over shadowed by pelvic tuberculosis. It is usually asymptomatic, but patients could complain of menstrual irregularity and per vaginal discharge. We report a case of a 37-year-old female who presented with per vaginal discharge for 2 years. Histopathology showed numerous caseating and non-caseating granulomas with plasma cells, Ziehl-Neelsen stain for acid fast bacillus is positive, and she was initiated on anti-tuberculosis treatment. On subsequent follow-up visits, patient was doing well with complete resolution of symptoms. Genital tuberculosis is usually caused by reactivation of organism from systemic distribution during primary infection. It is estimated that approximately 8 million cases of tuberculosis occur worldwide every year, 95% of which are from developing countries. Tuberculosis usually affects the lung but about one-third of patients have extra pulmonary involvement which include female genitals organs and other organs. Genital tuberculosis is an indolent infection: its common symptoms include pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, amenorrhea, vaginal discharge, and infertility. Most of the patients respond quickly after initiating anti-tuberculosis medications. We recommend that all patients with a positive Ziehl-Neelsen stain and menstrual abnormalities undergo aggressive evaluation for genital tuberculosis.

Perceptions of surgeons on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use at an urban tertiary hospital in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Surgical Site Infections are a major cause of morbidity and mortality among operated patients. In spite of the accessibility of universal and national guidelines for surgical prophylaxis, recent studies surveying the present routine of prophylaxis have demonstrated overutilization of a wide range antibacterial medication for a single patient. Few studies have shown qualitatively factors influencing this and perceptions of surgeons on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use. Unfortunately, none of these studies have been done in Tanzania. OBJECTIVE: To describe the perceptions of surgeons on surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use at an urban tertiary hospital. METHODS: A qualitative study involving in-depth interviews with surgeons was conducted in English by the primary investigator. The interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Systematic text condensation by Malterud was used for data analysis. FINDINGS: Fourteen surgeons and obstetrics and gynaecologists participated. Their perceptions were summarized into three main categories: Inadequate data to support practice; one who sees the patient decides the antibiotic prophylaxis; prolonged antibiotic use for fear of unknown. The participants perceived that choice of antibiotic should be based on local hospital data for bacterial resistance pattern, however the hospital guidelines and data for surgical site infection rates are unknown. Fear of getting infection and anticipating complications led to prolonged antibiotics use. CONCLUSION: The study provides an understanding of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis use and its implementation challenges. This was partly expressed by unavailability of local data and guidelines to enhance practice. To improve this, there is a need of guidelines that incorporates local resistance surveillance data and enhanced antibiotic stewardship programmes. A strong consideration should be placed into ways to combat the fears of surgeons for complications, as these significantly affect the current practise with use of surgical antibiotic prophylaxis.

Effectiveness of a Novel Continuous Doppler (Moyo) Versus Intermittent Doppler in Intrapartum Detection of Abnormal Foetal Heart Rate: A Randomised Controlled Study in Tanzania.

Background: Intrapartum foetal heart rate (FHR) monitoring is crucial for identification of hypoxic foetuses and subsequent interventions. We compared continuous monitoring using a novel nine-crystal FHR monitor (Moyo) versus intermittent single crystal Doppler (Doppler) for the detection of abnormal FHR. Methods: An unmasked randomised controlled study was conducted in a tertiary hospital in Tanzania (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02790554). A total of 2973 low-risk singleton pregnant women in the first stage of labour admitted with normal FHR were randomised to either Moyo (n = 1479) or Doppler (1494) arms. The primary outcome was the proportion of abnormal FHR detection. Secondary outcomes were time intervals in labour, delivery mode, Apgar scores, and perinatal outcomes. Results: Moyo detected abnormal FHR more often (13.3%) compared to Doppler (9.8%) (p = 0.002). Time intervals from admission to detection of abnormal FHR were 15% shorter in Moyo (p = 0.12) and from the detection of abnormal FHR to delivery was 36% longer in Moyo (p = 0.007) compared to the Doppler arm. Time from last FHR to delivery was 12% shorter with Moyo (p = 0.006) compared to Doppler. Caesarean section rates were higher with the Moyo device compared to Doppler (p = 0.001). Low Apgar scores (<7) at the 1st and 5th min were comparable between groups (p = 0.555 and p = 0.800). Perinatal outcomes (fresh stillbirths and 24-h neonatal deaths) were comparable at delivery (p = 0.497) and 24-h post-delivery (p = 0.345). Conclusions: Abnormal FHR detection rates were higher with Moyo compared to Doppler. Moyo detected abnormal FHR earlier than Doppler, but time from detection to delivery was longer. Studies powered to detect differences in perinatal outcomes with timely responses are recommended.

Implementation of a novel continuous fetal Doppler (Moyo) improves quality of intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring in a resource-limited tertiary hospital in Tanzania: An observational study.

BACKGROUND: Intrapartum Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) monitoring is crucial for the early detection of abnormal FHR, facilitating timely obstetric interventions and thus the potential reduction of adverse perinatal outcomes. We explored midwifery practices of intrapartum FHR monitoring pre and post implementation of a novel continuous automatic Doppler device (the Moyo). METHODOLOGY: A pre/post observational study among low-risk pregnancies at a tertiary hospital was conducted from March to December 2016. In the pre-implementation period, intermittent monitoring was conducted with a Pinard stethoscope (March to June 2016, n = 1640 women). In the post-implementation period, Moyo was used for continuous FHR monitoring (July-December 2016, n = 2442 women). The primary outcome was detection of abnormal FHR defined as absent, FHR<120or FHR>160bpm. The secondary outcomes were rates of assessment/documentation of FHR, obstetric time intervals and intrauterine resuscitations. Chi-square test, Fishers exact test, t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were used in bivariate analysis whereas binary and multinomial logistic regression were used for multivariate. RESULTS: Moyo use was associated with greater detection of abnormal FHR (8.0%) compared with Pinard (1.6%) (p<0.001). There were higher rates of non-assessment/documentation of FHR pre- (45.7%) compared to post-implementation (2.2%) (p<0.001). At pre-implementation, 8% of deliveries had FHR documented as often as ≤ 60 minutes, compared to 51% post-implementation (p<0.001). Implementation of continuous FHR monitoring was associated with a shorter time interval from the last FHR assessment to delivery i.e. median (IQR) of 60 (30,100) to 45 (21,85) minutes (p<0.001); and shorter time interval between each FHR assessment i.e. from 150 (86,299) minutes to 60 (41,86) minutes (p<0.001). Caesarean section rates increased from 2.6 to 5.4%, and vacuum deliveries from 2.2 to 5.8% (both p<0.001). Perinatal outcomes i.e. fresh stillbirths and early neonatal deaths were similar between time periods. The study was limited by both lack of randomization and involvement of low-risk pregnant women with fewer adverse perinatal outcomes than would be expected in a high-risk population. CONCLUSION: Implementation of the Moyo device, which continuously measures FHR, was associated with improved quality in FHR monitoring practices and the detection of abnormal FHR. These improvements led to more frequent and timely obstetric responses. Follow-up studies in a high-risk population focused on a more targeted description of the FHR abnormalities and the impact of intrauterine resuscitation is a critical next step in determining the effect on reducing perinatal mortality.

Challenges in day-to-day midwifery practice; a qualitative study from a regional referral hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Maternal and infant mortality rates in Tanzania have decreased over the past decades, but remain high. One of the challenges the country faces, is the lack of skilled health care workers. High fertility rates make midwives and their patients particularly susceptible to stress as a result of understaffing. OBJECTIVE: This paper explores the challenges midwives face in their day-to-day practice at a regional referral hospital in Tanzania, and investigates which measures the midwives themselves find necessary to implement to improve their situation. METHODS: A qualitative study design with focus group discussions (FGDs) was employed to explore which challenges the midwives experienced. Each focus group consisted of five to six midwives. A FGD topic guide covering challenges, consequences, motivation, ideal situation and possible solutions was used. These data were analyzed using Systematic Text Condensation. RESULTS: A total of 28 Midwives, six men and 22 women, participated in five FGDs. Four categories emerged from the collected material: Feelings of demoralization, shortage of resources, societal challenges and personal struggles. A feeling of demoralization was especially prevalent and was caused by a lack of support from the leaders and little appreciation from the patients. Shortage of resources, and shortage of personnel in particular, was also highlighted as it led to an excessive workload resulting in difficulties with providing adequate care. These difficulties were intensified by lack of equipment, facilities and a non-optimal organization of the healthcare system. CONCLUSION: The challenges revealed during the FGDs prevent the midwives from providing sufficient midwifery care. To improve the situation, measures such as supportive leadership, reduction of workload, increasing availability of equipment and increasing knowledge of reproductive health in society, should be taken.

"I Was Relieved to Know That My Baby Was Safe": Women's Attitudes and Perceptions on Using a New Electronic Fetal Heart Rate Monitor during Labor in Tanzania.

To increase labor monitoring and prevent neonatal morbidity and mortality, a new wireless, strap-on electronic fetal heart rate monitor called Moyo was introduced in Tanzania in 2016. As part of the ongoing evaluation of the introduction of the monitor, the aim of this study was to explore the attitudes and perceptions of women who had worn the monitor continuously during their most recent delivery and perceptions about how it affected care. This knowledge is important to identify barriers towards adaptation in order to introduce new technology more effectively. We carried out 20 semi-structured individual interviews post-labor at two hospitals in Tanzania. A thematic content analysis was used to analyze the data. Our results indicated that the use of the monitor positively affected the women's birth experience. It provided much-needed reassurance about the wellbeing of the child. The women considered that wearing Moyo improved care due to an increase in communication and attention from birth attendants. However, the women did not fully understand the purpose and function of the device and overestimated its capabilities. This highlights the need to improve how and when information is conveyed to women in labor.

Evaluation of a training program for health care workers to improve the quality of care for rape survivors: a quasi-experimental design study in Morogoro, Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Sexual violence against women and children in Tanzania and globally is a human rights violation and a developmental challenge. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of training health professionals on rape management. The specific objectives were to evaluate the changes of knowledge and attitudes toward sexual violence among a selected population of health professionals at primary health care level. DESIGN: A quasi-experimental design using cross-sectional surveys was conducted to evaluate health care workers' knowledge, attitude, and clinical practice toward sexual violence before and after the training program. The study involved the Kilombero (intervention) and Ulanga (comparison) districts in Morogoro region. A total of 151 health professionals at baseline (2012) and 169 in the final assessment (2014) participated in the survey. Data were collected using the same structured questionnaire. The amount of change in key indicators from baseline to final assessment in the two areas was compared using composite scores in the pre- and post-interventions, and the net intervention effect was calculated by the difference in difference method. RESULTS: Overall, there was improved knowledge in the intervention district from 55% at baseline to 86% and a decreased knowledge from 58.5 to 36.2% in the comparison area with a net effect of 53.7% and a p-value less than 0.0001. The proportion of participants who exhibited an accepting attitude toward violence declined from 15.3 to 11.2% in the intervention area but increased from 13.2 to 20.0% in the comparison area. CONCLUSIONS: Training on the management of sexual violence is feasible and the results indicate improvement in healthcare workers' knowledge and practice but not attitudes. Lessons learned from this study for successful replication of such an intervention in similar settings require commitment from those at strategic level within the health service to ensure that adequate resources are made available.

A community-based intervention for improving health-seeking behavior among sexual violence survivors: a controlled before and after design study in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Despite global recognition that sexual violence is a violation of human rights, evidence still shows it is a pervasive problem across all societies. Promising community intervention studies in the low- and middle-income countries are limited. OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the impact of a community-based intervention, focusing on improving the community's knowledge and reducing social acceptability of violence against women norms with the goal to prevent and respond to sexual violence. DESIGN: The strategies used to create awareness included radio programs, information, education communication materials, and advocacy meetings with local leaders. The intervention took place in Morogoro region in Tanzania. The evaluation used a quasi-experimental design including cross-sectional surveys at baseline (2012) and endline (2014) with men and women aged 18-49 years. Main outcome measures were number of reported rape cases at health facilities and the community's knowledge and attitudes toward sexual violence. RESULTS: The number of reported rape events increased by more than 50% at health facilities during the intervention. Knowledge on sexual violence increased significantly in both areas over the study period (from 57.3 to 80.6% in the intervention area and from 55.5 to 71.9% in the comparison area; p<0.001), and the net effect of the intervention between the two areas was statistically significant (6.9, 95% CI 0.2-13.5, p=0.03). There was significant improvement in most of the attitude indicators in the intervention area, but not in the comparison area. However, the intervention had no significant effect on the overall scores of acceptance attitudes in the final assessment when comparing the two areas (-2.4, 95% CI: -8.4 to 3.6, p=0.42). CONCLUSIONS: The intervention had an effect on some indicators on knowledge and attitudes toward sexual violence even after a short period of intervention. This finding informs the public health practitioners of the importance of combined strategies in achieving changes.

Knowledge and attitude towards rape and child sexual abuse--a community-based cross-sectional study in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Violence against women and children is globally recognized as a social and human rights concern. In Tanzania, sexual violence towards women and children is a public health problem. The aim of this study was to determine community knowledge of and attitudes towards rape and child sexual abuse, and assess associations between knowledge and attitudes and socio-demographic characteristics. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was undertaken between May and June 2012. The study was conducted in the Kilombero and Ulanga rural districts in the Morogoro Region of Tanzania. Men and women aged 18-49 years were eligible for the study. Through a three-stage cluster sampling strategy, a household survey was conducted using a structured questionnaire. The questionnaire included socio-demographic characteristics, attitudes about gender roles and violence, and knowledge on health consequences of rape. Data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) software, version 21. Main outcome measures were knowledge of and attitudes towards sexual violence. Multivariate analyses were used to assess associations between socio-demographic characteristics and knowledge of and attitudes towards sexual violence. RESULTS: A total of 1,568 participants were interviewed. The majority (58.4%) of participants were women. Most (58.3%) of the women respondents had poor knowledge on sexual violence and 63.8% had accepting attitudes towards sexual violence. Those who were married were significantly more likely to have good knowledge on sexual violence compared to the divorced/separated group (AOR = 1.6 (95% CI: 1.1-2.2)) but less likely to have non-accepting attitudes towards sexual violence compared to the single group (AOR = 1.8 (95%CI: 1.4-2.3)). Sex of respondents, age, marital status and level of education were associated with knowledge and attitudes towards sexual violence. CONCLUSIONS: Our study showed that these rural communities have poor knowledge on sexual violence and have accepting attitudes towards sexual violence. Increasing age and higher education were associated with better knowledge and less accepting attitudes towards sexual violence. The findings have potentially important implications for interventions aimed at preventing violence. The results highlight the challenges associated with changing attitudes towards sexual violence, particularly as the highest levels of support for such violence were found among women.

Community perceptions of rape and child sexual abuse: a qualitative study in rural Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: Rape of women and children is recognized as a health and human rights issue in Tanzania and internationally. Exploration of the prevailing perceptions in rural areas is needed in order to expand the understanding of sexual violence in the diversity of Tanzania's contexts. The aim of this study therefore was to explore and understand perceptions of rape of women and children at the community level in a rural district in Tanzania with the added objective of exploring those perceptions that may contribute to perpetuating and/or hindering the disclosure of rape incidences. METHODS: A qualitative design was employed using focus group discussions with male and female community members including religious leaders, professionals, and other community members. The discussions centered on causes of rape, survivors of rape, help-seeking and reporting, and gathered suggestions on measures for improvement. Six focus group discussions (four of single gender and two of mixed gender) were conducted. The focus group discussions were recorded, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using manifest qualitative content analysis. RESULTS: The participants perceived rape of women and children to be a frequent and hidden phenomenon. A number of factors were singled out as contributing to rape, such as erosion of social norms, globalization, poverty, vulnerability of children, alcohol/drug abuse and poor parental care. Participants perceived the need for educating the community to raise their knowledge of sexual violence and its consequences, and their roles as preventive agents. CONCLUSIONS: In this rural context, social norms reinforce sexual violence against women and children, and hinder them from seeking help from support services. Addressing the identified challenges may promote help-seeking behavior and improve care of survivors of sexual violence, while changes in social and cultural norms are needed for the prevention of sexual violence.

Maternal near-miss and death and their association with caesarean section complications: a cross-sectional study at a university hospital and a regional hospital in Tanzania.

BACKGROUND: The maternal near-miss (MNM) concept has been developed to assess life-threatening conditions during pregnancy, childhood, and puerperium. In recent years, caesarean section (CS) rates have increased rapidly in many low- and middle-income countries, a trend which might have serious effects on maternal health. Our aim was to describe the occurrence and panorama of maternal near-miss and death in two low-resource settings, and explore their association with CS complications. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional study, including all women who fulfilled the WHO criteria for MNM or death between February and June 2012 at a university hospital and a regional hospital in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Cases were assessed individually to determine their association with CS. Main outcome measures included MNM ratio; maternal mortality ratio; proportion of MNM and death associated with CS complications; and the risk for such outcomes per 1,000 operations. The risk ratio of life-threatening CS complications at the university hospital compared to the regional hospital was calculated. RESULTS: We identified 467 MNM events and 77 maternal deaths. The MNM ratio was 36 per 1,000 live births (95% CI 33-39) and the maternal mortality ratio was 587 per 100,000 live births (95% CI 460-730). Major causes were eclampsia and postpartum haemorrhage, but we also detected nine MNM events and five deaths from iatrogenic complications. CS complications accounted for 7.9% (95% CI 5.6-11) of the MNM events and 13% (95% CI 6.4-23) of the maternal deaths. The risk of experiencing a life-threatening CS complication was three times higher at the regional hospital (22/1,000 operations, 95% CI 12-37) compared to the university hospital (7.0/1,000 operations, 95% CI 3.8-12) (risk ratio 3.2, 95% CI 1.5-6.6). CONCLUSIONS: The occurrence of MNM and death at the two hospitals was high, and many cases were associated with CS complications. The maternal risks of CS in low-resource settings must not be overlooked, and measures should be taken to avoid unnecessary CSs. More comprehensive training of staff, improved postoperative surveillance, and a more even distribution of resources within the health care system might reduce the risks of CS.