A Dissertation Submitted to Institute of Development Studies in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Master of Science in Development Policy (MSc. DP) of Mzumbe University
This study is about challenges of promoting numbers of deliveries in health facilities in Namtumbo district. Specifically, the study sought to explore the status of women deliveries at health facilities in Namtumbo District, people’s perception on delivering at health facilities, factors influencing deliveries at health facilities, and ways of promoting deliveries at health facilities in the District. The population of study was all community members of Namtumbo district from which a sample of 65(100%) respondents was obtained whereby simple random sampling and purposive sampling techniques were used. Methods of data collection involved both primary and secondary sources. Primary data were collected by using questionnaires and interviews. Documentary review methods were used in collecting secondary data. Analysis of data was done with excel. Therefore, the report is presented using descriptive statistics, namely frequencies and percentages.
The findings revealed that the number of women delivering outside health facilities is still high. Influencing factors include negative altitudes of health providers, lack of medicine and medical supply, and budget constraints from the government on health facilities construction making the problem of home deliveries keep on persisting. This makes the pregnant women not to get proper services as guided in order to control the life of pregnant women. Also, the study revealed that the factors which lead the pregnant women to deliver at home include polite language from Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), services provided under a short time, short distance from home to TBAs, zero cost in services and no compulsory HIV/AIDS testing as what is practised at health facilities. Further, the government is committed towards the promotion of numbers of deliveries in health facilities all over the country but there are still some challenges such as shortage of drugs in the health facilities, lack of funds, lack of transport facilities as well as shortage of personnel.
Based on these findings, increase in the utilization of health facilities for delivery by improving education among girls, increase in accessibility to health facility and promotion of early booking as well as regular visits by women have been recommended.