Thamini Uhai has built and renovated operating theaters and delivery and postpartum wards, built staff housing, and provided key equipment for EmONC. The program also procures supplies and commodities for supported sites, particularly in cases of severe stock-outs.
Increasing access to quality routine and emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC) is vital for improving maternal and perinatal survival throughout pregnancy, labor and the postnatal period. Thamini Uhai’s approach is to bring the local government, maternal and reproductive health implementation partners, communities, and health facilities together to design and carry out local solutions to ensure referral preparedness, transportation and communication. Thamini Uhai has supported communities in Uvinza, Kakonko and Kibondo districts to implement tailor-made/contextualized referral solutions to reduce delays in reaching and receiving maternal healthcare from 2015 to 2019.
Regular data collection and clinical auditing is conducted to monitor services and identify clinical issues requiring attention. Additional data is analyzed quarterly to review “near misses,” cesarean sections, EmONC functionality, and maternal and neonatal deaths.
Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (EmONC)
EmONC is the package of health services necessary to treat the life-threatening complications that cause the majority of maternal deaths and many perinatal deaths (WHO, 2009). The nine EmONC signal functions are:
- Administer parenteral antibiotics
- Administer uterotonic drugs
- Administer parenteral anticonvulsants
- Manually remove the placenta
- Remove retained products
- Perform assisted vaginal delivery (e.g., vacuum delivery)
- Perform basic neonatal resuscitation
- Perform surgery (e.g., cesarean section)
- Perform blood transfusion
Facilities offering the first seven signal functions are classified as basic EmONC (BEmONC) and those that offer the full set of nine signal functions are classified as comprehensive EmONC (CEmONC) facilities.