Supporting the SUPREME Lifeline Project: Lessons from Mlinde Mama

PHIT Supports the SUPREME Lifeline Project through Evidence and Implementation Learning

Prime Health Initiative Tanzania (PHIT) was honoured to participate in the SUPREME Lifeline 
Learning Agenda Validation Workshop held on 17 July 2026 in Dar es Salaam. Convened by 
Amref Health Africa Tanzania, the workshop brought together representatives from the Ministry 
of Health, PMO-RALG, professional associations, academic institutions, implementing partners, 
and maternal health experts to validate the project’s global learning agenda and develop 
Tanzania-specific implementation research questions.

The four-year SUPREME Lifeline Project, supported by Unitaid and implemented in Mwanza 
and Pwani regions, aims to accelerate the introduction and scale-up of affordable, available, 
and accessible innovations for the prevention, early detection, and management of 
pre-eclampsia and maternal anaemia. Through woman-centred care and implementation research, 
the project seeks to generate evidence that can strengthen maternal health services and improve 
outcomes for women and newborns in Tanzania.

PHIT contributed to the workshop by sharing practical lessons from the Mlinde Mama Project, 
implemented in six health facilities in Geita Region between 2022 and 2024. PHIT presented evidence from the project’s two linked interventions: Group Antenatal Care 
and machine learning-based risk stratification for hypertensive disorders of pregnancy.

The Group Antenatal Care model organized pregnant women into cohorts based on gestational 
age, enabling them to attend antenatal care sessions together, participate in guided health 
education, undertake selected self-assessments, and support one another throughout pregnancy. 
The experience demonstrated how group-based care can improve trust, peer accountability, 
continuity of care, appointment adherence, and demand for maternal health services.

PHIT also shared lessons from developing a machine learning model using routine antenatal 
care data to identify women who may be at increased risk of hypertensive disorders of 
pregnancy. The discussion highlighted the potential of provider-facing risk prediction tools to 
support earlier clinical review, while emphasizing that such tools should strengthen rather than 
replace clinical judgement.

Drawing from the Mlinde Mama experience, PHIT highlighted several considerations for the 
SUPREME Lifeline Project. These included the need to assess referral and confirmatory-testing 
capacity, strengthen routine data quality, integrate innovations into existing clinical workflows, 
adapt Group Antenatal Care to facility workload and cultural context, and establish clear 
follow-up and escalation pathways for women identified as being at increased risk.

PHIT’s participation reflects our commitment to supporting national and partner-led maternal 
health initiatives through locally generated evidence, implementation experience, and practical 
learning. We are pleased to contribute lessons that can inform the SUPREME Lifeline Project 
as it develops and tests context-appropriate approaches for preventing and managing 
pre-eclampsia and maternal anaemia in Tanzania.

By bringing together government leadership, researchers, health professionals, and 
implementation partners, the workshop reinforced the value of co-creation in ensuring that 
research questions respond to the realities of women, health workers, facilities, and referral 
systems. PHIT remains committed to continued collaboration and to advancing evidence-based, 
woman-centred solutions that strengthen Tanzania’s maternal health system.

View highlights from the SUPREME Lifeline Learning Agenda Validation Workshop