Mlinde Mama Project Closeout

In August 2024, the Prime Health Initiative Tanzania (PHIT) convened a high-level regional close-out meeting in Geita, marking the successful completion of the Mlinde Mama project (2022–2024)—an innovative maternal health initiative supported by the Gates Foundation.

The meeting brought together regional leadership, district health teams, facility in-charges, frontline providers, and project beneficiaries, creating a platform to reflect on achievements, share lessons learned, and define a clear pathway for sustainability and scale.

From Innovation to Measurable Impact

Over two years of implementation, Mlinde Mama demonstrated that integrating service delivery redesign with digital innovation can significantly improve maternal health outcomes in low-resource settings.

At the close-out meeting, PHIT presented key results, including:

• High uptake of antenatal services:
  • 95% of eligible women completed at least four ANC visits
  • 97% facility-based delivery rate
• Improved preventive care:
  • IPTp3+ uptake increased to 76%, up from baseline levels
• Strong engagement through Group ANC:
  • Over 5,800 women enrolled across 500+ cohorts, improving continuity of care and peer support
• Robust data systems and analytics:
  • Over 337,000 ANC visits analyzed, enabling development of a machine learning model for early prediction of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy

Key Innovations Highlighted

The close-out meeting emphasized two transformative approaches:

1. Group Antenatal Care (G-ANC)
   A redesigned service delivery model that:
   • Combines clinical care, education, and peer support
   • Improves attendance, retention, and trust between providers and clients
   • Strengthens demand for facility-based care
2. Machine Learning for Risk Prediction
   An innovative digital solution that:
   • Uses routine ANC data to identify high-risk pregnancies early
   • Supports proactive clinical decision-making
   • Enhances prioritization and referral pathways

Together, these approaches demonstrated that impact is maximized when health system redesign and digital innovation are implemented in tandem.

A Platform for Learning and Reflection

Beyond results, the close-out meeting served as a critical forum to:

• Share implementation challenges, including data quality gaps, supply chain constraints, and provider workload
• Highlight effective strategies, such as community engagement through CHWs and structured facilitation of G-ANC sessions
• Gather feedback from regional leaders and beneficiaries on the project's contribution to reducing maternal risks

Importantly, the meeting also identified opportunities for future collaboration and scaling, including engagement with national technical working groups and research institutions.

Transitioning to Government Ownership

A central focus of the meeting was the transition of key project components to the Regional and Council Health Management Teams (R/CHMT and CHMT).

Stakeholders agreed on:

• Integrating Group ANC into routine service delivery across facilities
• Exploring pathways for embedding machine learning tools within national digital health systems
• Strengthening data use culture and supervision mechanisms to sustain gains

This transition reflects PHIT's commitment to ensuring that innovations are not project-bound, but institutionalized within the health system.

Recognizing Partnerships and Building the Future

The close-out meeting also provided an opportunity to recognize the contributions of all partners, including:

• Regional and district health leadership
• Facility-based healthcare providers
• Community actors and beneficiaries
• Technical and funding partners

These collaborations were instrumental in delivering results and will remain critical for future scale-up efforts.

Looking Ahead: From Geita to National Impact

While the Mlinde Mama project has formally concluded, its legacy continues through:

• Sustained service delivery improvements
• Strengthened data systems and digital capacity
• Policy and program influence at national level

PHIT is actively engaging with government and partners to:

• Support integration of G-ANC and predictive analytics into routine services
• Advance model validation and scale-up opportunities
• Mobilize resources for expansion to additional regions

Conclusion

The Mlinde Mama close-out marks not an end, but a transition:

From pilot innovation to sustained health system transformation.

By combining evidence, partnership, and local ownership, PHIT has laid a strong foundation for scaling high-impact maternal health solutions—ensuring that the benefits phit_userized in Geita continue to improve outcomes for women and newborns across Tanzania.