The heroes of Geita: empowering midwives through water, sanitation and hygiene

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Nyaganga Juma Samuel, 37, nurse and midwife, holding a newborn baby which she helped mother Susan Magoma (L), 32, deliver last night, Nyamalimbe Dispensary, Geita District, Tanzania, June, 2019.
Image: WaterAid/ James Kiyimba

Before we began work in Geita, a remote, rural region in northern Tanzania, just half of women gave birth in healthcare centres. Many stayed away, fearing the deadly infections spread through unhygienic conditions resulting from a lack of water, sanitation and hygiene facilities at the hospitals. Doctors, nurses and midwives struggled daily with the knowledge that the lack of infection prevention and control was putting the lives of mothers and babies at risk, and contributing to antibiotic resistance.

In the past four years, our project with AMREF, funded by Global Affairs Canada, has transformed 12 healthcare centres across Geita with clean water, decent sanitation and improved hygiene processes. Over on WaterAid Tanzania's blog, meet the heroes of Geita – the midwives now empowered to provide their patients with quality care and a clean environment.

Read the blog >