Bridging the gap: Childbirth challenges in Tanzania and beyond

The symposium, titled “Childbirth in Tanzania and Globally: Gaps in Research and Clinical Practice,” highlighted the alarming statistics: annually, 300,000 women and 5 million babies die around birth, predominantly in the world’s poorest regions.

The event was organised in connection to PhD student Monica Kujabi thesis defence. She presented her research on the urban maternity units of Dar es Salaam, revealing the stark realities faced by women due to limited resources and staff. Her findings emphasised the urgent need for empathetic and respectful labor environments, especially in low-resource settings.

The symposium also featured discussions on the overuse of oxytocin in prolonged labor and the rising rates of caesarean sections, which have become a global concern. Experts called for inclusive research that amplifies women’s voices and the development of fit-for-purpose clinical guidelines to bridge the existing gaps in maternal healthcare.

The event concluded with a panel discussion, reinforcing the collective commitment to improving childbirth care worldwide.

Watch the video recordings below.

Introduction / Thomas van den Akker

Labour progression in urban resource-constrained maternity units and beyond: An appeal for change (PhD defence presentation) / Monica Kujabi

Conducive labour environments in Dar es Salaam / Andrea Pembe

Too little too late vs too much to soon - how a life-saving procedure became a threat to global maternal health / Helena Litorp

Whose knowledge counts? Including women’s voices in research / Morten Skovdahl

Injustice of unfit clinical guidelines / Nanna Maaløe

Read more about the PartoMa project here.