Despite being pregnant at 9 months, 21-year-old Mariam in her second pregnancy she had never attended an antenatal care clinic (ANC) because there was no health facility near her village – Nyankombe, in Uyui District of Tabora Region. To receive ANC services, Mariam had to travel on foot or by bicycle for 30 kilometers to the neighboring village’s health facility

However, for the first time in since becoming pregnant, Mariam received community based mobile ANC services in her village through the Jamii Salama (“safer communities”) Project, implemented by the Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete Foundation (JMKF) in collaboration with the Government of Tanzania and funded by S.C. Johnson and Son Company. These mobile ANC services ensure that pregnant women like Mariam can have healthier futures for themselves and their babies, through the course of their pregnancies.

Mariam began experiencing labor pains at home and decided to attend the Jamii Salama mobile ANC outreach that day. At around 2:00 pm Mariam was attended to and underwent comprehensive ANC tests and physical examinations, including an ultrasound. The test results revealed that Mariam was currently in labor and was ready for delivery.

To save both Mariam and her baby’s life, the healthcare providers took urgent care, administering intravenous fluids at around 2:20pm and with one team rushing Mariam to the nearest health facility – at Miyenze Dispensary, using the mobile ANC vehicle, and another team remaining at the outreach site. With the journey taking over an hour to reach the dispensary, Mariam was safely handed over to the health care facility for further care.

Mariam is among many pregnant women in Tanzania who reach the final stages of pregnancy without realizing it due to a lack of timely ANC services. Back at the outreach site, there were still many patients awaiting for services, so the mobile ANC vehicle and healthcare worker returned to the outreach site at 6:00 pm to continue providing ANC services to those still waiting.

“Since there were many pregnant women waiting for ANC services at the site, we had to continue offering services until 7:30 pm, using various lighting sources, including the mobile ANC vehicles car headlights,” said the Jamii Salama outreach team in Uyui District. After completing the community outreach at that site, the mobile ANC team returned to Miyenze Dispensary to follow up on Mariam and found that she had successfully delivered a baby boy.

The Mobile ANC team was informed that if there had been any further delays, both Mariam and her baby’s life could have been at risk. The Mobile ANC team was informed that if there had been any further delays, both Mariam and her baby’s life could have been at risk.

Mariam’s relatives were deeply grateful and overjoyed, such that they decided to name the baby boy Paschal Jakaya, after the mobile ANC team lead and JMKF’s Settlor and Chairman, H. E Dr. Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.

WHO recommends that a pregnant woman attends at least 4 ANC visits through her pregnancy, but this is not the case for majority of the pregnant women in Tanzania, due to many factors including the large distance from communities to healthcare facilities.

The Jamii Salama Project uses a community healthcare worker led mobile ANC outreacth approach, to address this gap by meeting pregnant women where they are- providing quality and comprehensive ANC services, in communities. Jamii Salama Project bring’s healthcare closer to pregnant women and creates safer communites for mothers and babies