Giving birth in Simiyu Region is a painful ordeal that many women have to endure. Long distances to health facilities, poor infrastructure including a lack of equipment, and a shortage of qualified staff mean that many women give birth at home assisted by a traditional birth attendant or a relative.  Even if they do make it to a health facility, they often have to wait many hours before they are seen.

Ms. Yulita Elikadi saw a mother who was about to deliver her baby while waiting for a midwife. She helped the mother to deliver her baby boy at Nassa Health Centre in Busega District, Simiyu Region. Six years have passed since then but she has never forgotten that day. It was the first time Yulita had visited the health centre, pregnant with her sixth child having experienced complications with her previous home-based deliveries. She arrived at the Nassa Health Centre in the morning, joining the queue of other pregnant women waiting to be seen.

The situation suddenly changed as the mother’s labour pains began, and the baby was close to delivery. “She was screaming noisily and painfully. Everyone was running away. I felt sorry for her and tried to help her because there was no one else except me,” said Yulita.

A midwife on duty was busy in the labour room helping another woman give birth.  Yulita had the courage to help the woman because she had given birth at home five times. “That was the first time I had attended the maternity clinic. Previously I had given birth at home with the help of traditional birth attendants and my grandmother,” she said.

She recalled how her bush-midwife and grandmother had assisted her during birth and helped the mother to deliver her baby safely.  “I pulled the baby out, but I couldn’t manage to cut the umbilical cord until a midwife arrived.” Yulita is 42 with nine children. She lost four children during childbirth. “It was too far for me to travel to Magu District Hospital to get maternal health services. My husband also said that he had no money for transport or for the medical expenses.”

At that time, Nassa Health Centre was too far for her to reach. The infrastructure was poor and it was not well equipped. Today this has changed. The United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency (UNFPA) Tanzania and the government have constructed 38 maternity wards and seven operating theatre buildings in Simiyu Region. These facilities have been constructed at various district hospitals and health centres in five districts of Simiyu Region, including Bariadi, Meatu, Busega, Itilima and Maswa.

Nassa Health Centre now has a maternity ward and an operating theatre.  The maternity ward has been equipped with a high-quality ultrasound/sonography machine in the outpatients department as well as a foetal doppler. There is a labour room and an operating theatre for C-sections, and other essential equipment for maternity wards. There is also a neonatal intensive care unit on the ward to improve the survival chances of children born prematurely. Yulita is happy to see her daughters giving birth with a big smile, thanks to the expansion of the health centre.

The construction of the facilities was completed under the 'Nilinde Nikulinde Project', and cost TSh 4.848 billion. The aim was to improve health services in the region. As part of the two-year project medical equipment and vehicles were also provided to the 38 health facilities in the region, costing over TSh 676 million. Jacqueline Mahon, UNFPA Country Representative, said: "We have provided at least TSh 5.52 billion to complete the project, reducing the long distances that mothers have to travel for medical treatment, with the government being the major implementer" she noted.

To recognize the progress made in improving health services under the 'Nilinde Nikulinde Project’ in Simiyu Region, Seleman Jafo, Minister of State in the President's Office (Regional Administration and Local Governments) officially opened the Nassa Health Centre. “I am so thankful to UNFPA that pregnant women in Simiyu will no longer need to travel long distances outside of their region to seek treatment because everything they need is here,” he said.

Currently Yulita and other residents of Busega District receive treatment at the health centre before going to the district hospital.

Meatu District Hospital was also among the beneficiaries of the project. A maternity ward and operating theatre were constructed and medical equipment was provided. The project will enable the hospital to accommodate a higher number of pregnant women and provide emergency surgery to mothers experiencing complications during birth.

The Medical Officer in charge, Dr Sally Chaku, said: “Before this project, the hospital was only able to accommodate one expectant mother as there was only one labour room. However, thanks to this project the maternity ward now has four labour rooms and a fully equipped surgical theatre.

"At least 16 pregnant women were coming to give birth here every day. It was so difficult to accommodate them in a single maternity room. Some were delivering while waiting in line to be seen," she said. She is happy that the hospital will be able to see four people at once".