Tanzania | Laerdal Global Health

Tanzania in focus

Scaling what works alongside government and partners to help save more lives

The challenge

In 2000, Tanzania faced a maternal mortality rate of over 900 deaths per 100,000 births and an infant mortality rate of 85 per 1000 births. This challenging reality sparked action from the Tanzanian government who have engaged with public and private partners to implement systemic change to the health system, including increased Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care facilities, stronger referral networks, capacity building and improved health worker training. It is these factors that have helped to drive down numbers – and Tanzania is now heralded as an example to other African countries of how systemic change is possible. Despite this, disparities still exist in Tanzania which means not all women and babies have the chance at a safe birth.

How we help

For over 15 years, we and our partners have worked to strengthen maternal and newborn care in Tanzania, the birthplace of the proven Safer Births Bundle of Care. This program—shown to reduce newborn deaths by 40% and maternal deaths by 75%—is now implemented in more than 150 health facilities and is scaling nationally.

During this time, we have also helped establish simulation-based training across pre‑service and in‑service institutions, advocating for its adoption at government level. This approach is now increasingly integrated into Tanzania’s health system.

More recently, we have partnered to embed the Basic Emergency Care program, which uses similar methods to improve outcomes for time‑critical emergency conditions.

A beacon of hope

Through our collaborations with partners, our work has reached over 5000 Tanzanian healthcare workers, in 5 regions, helping to save thousands of lives. Our Tanzanian team have been hand in hand with those in government and health facilities as the country has dramatically improved the outcomes for women and newborns. Now, other African countries are looking to Tanzania and particularly to the Safer Births Bundle of Care program, to guide them as they too try to grapple with the devastating reality of high maternal and newborn deaths.

The program

Safer Births Bundle of Care

The Safer Births Bundle of Care is an evidence-based program that has been shown to reduce maternal and newborn deaths in low-resource settings. Developed as a result of more than 10 years of research, it includes innovative training and clinical tools and a focus on continuous quality improvement for scalability and sustainability over time. The program uses low-dose, high-frequency training for individuals and teams. Digital tools capture data for reflective debriefing, shifting the culture from “blame and shame” to continuous quality improvement.

Learn more about the program

How we collaborate

Provide key clinical and training innovations and support adoption of the tools
Support continuous quality improvement through digital platforms that track training data to guide low-dose high-frequency training
Partner with Ministries of Health and global agencies to drive implementation and scale-up of SBBC in Tanzania and beyond.

Goal

To reduce maternal and newborn mortality through empowering healthcare workers to better manage the leading causes of death.

Partners

Haydom Lutheran Hospital
Laerdal Global Health,
United Republic of Tanzania Ministry of Health

The program

Health Improvement Program, Zanzibar (HIPZ)

Zanzibar’s Health Improvement and Promotion Units (HIPZ), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health Zanzibar, trains hundreds of healthcare workers in maternal and newborn care. Laerdal Global Health has formalised a strategic partnership with HIPZ to strengthen maternal, newborn, and child health services. The collaboration focuses on capacity building, simulation-based training, quality improvement, research and improved access to essential clinical innovations. Building on the success of the Safer Birth Bundle of Care in Tanzania, this partnership aims to accelerate reductions in maternal and early newborn mortality and support safer births across Zanzibar.

How we collaborate

Support adoption of simulation-based training using innovative training tools
Advocate for quality training that results in vital capacity building of healthcare workers
Collaborate to ensure a focus on quality improvement and data driven practice

Goal

To improve maternal and child health through innovation, training and partnership.

Partners

HIPZ
Ministry of Health Zanzibar
Laerdal Global Health

The program

Scaling Up Basic Emergency Care, with WHO

Based on the lessons learned from the Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC) program – and in partnership with the World Health Organization (WHO) - a hybrid version of the BEC course is being tested through a multi-country study. This comparative study, which will also evaluate the classic all in-person BEC course, focusses on the quality of knowledge and skills retention over time.

How we collaborate

Integrate simulation-based training aligning it with BEC curriculum
Embed Low Dose High Frequency practice methodology to strengthen retention through team based or facilitator led on the job simulations
Support tailor made quality improvement initiatives.

Goal

Understand efficacy and best practice implementation for the hybrid BEC course, to support global scale up, improving emergency care in the countries where it is needed most.

Partners

AFEM
WHO
Emergency Association

Safer Births Bundle of Care annual stakeholders meeting

Last week, at the recent Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC) Annual Stakeholders Meeting, national and international delegates, researchers, government representatives, global partners, and donors gathered at Haydom Lutheran Hospital in Manyara, Tanzania.

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Save Story: Mother Maria

Already a mother to 7 children, Maria Charles from the Mwanza region of Tanzania, went into labour with her 8th child. Maria’s husband took her to her local health centre, where she received care and gave birth to healthy baby girl. Ntamburwa, her newborn, let out that reassuring first cry. She had arrived safely.

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Remarkable reductions in newborn and maternal deaths

The New England Journal of Medicine has just published a game changing paper showing the impact of the Safer Births Bundle of Care program, in Tanzania

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