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High rate of maternal deaths is one of the major public health concerns in Tanzania.
Maternal mortality rate in Tanzania had been on a downward trend from 453 to 200 per
100,000 live births. However from 1990s there has been an increasing trend to 578 per
100,000 live births (TDHS, 2010). Current statistics indicate that maternal mortality
ratio dropped slightly in 2010 to 454 per 100,000 live births (TDHS, 2010). Despite a
number of efforts made to reduce it, maternal mortality is still high. The objective of
this study was to assess the challenges of reducing maternal mortality rate in Musoma
Municipality, Tanzania in line with the National Health Policy of 2003. The theoretical
perspectives on gender equity, attribution and demographic transition guided the study.
Key policy documents, technical reports, publications and available internet
information on maternal mortality in Tanzania from 1961 to 2012 were reviewed. The
study employed a cross sectional research design. Random and purposeful sampling
design techniques were used to obtain the sample of 65 respondents. Data were
collected through interviews, questionnaires and documentary review. Data analysis
was done by using SPSS version 11.The study found out that health facilities in
Musoma municipality, do face a lot of challenges such as old unrepaired equipments,
low number of professional health workers, lack of medicine and drugs, high patient
influx compared to low number of health workers, low quality health service and poor
working environment. Additionally, it was also revealed that there were several factors
which made women not to access health facilities such as costs (direct or indirect),
health workers attitude, transport facility, lack of support from men, lack of awareness
concerning reproductive health issues and distance to health facility and lack of health
services at night. Also, even though maternal health services are free, yet there are costs
associated with maternal health, things like blankets, polyethylene bags, gloves and
pads that are direct cost to pregnant mothers. Therefore the study concluded that
poverty that prevails in the community seems to be the main obstacle for women to
access quality reproductive health services. Also the implementation of National Health
Policy of 2003 is still low due to the fact that people still pay money to access maternal
health. |
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