Policy makers' perspective on the provision of maternal health services via mobile health clinics in Tanzania-Findings from key informant interviews.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the operational feasibility of using mobile health clinics to reach the chronically underserved population with maternal and child health (MCH) services in Tanzania.

DESIGN

We conducted fifteen key informant interviews (KIIs) with policy makers and district health officials to explore issues related to mobile health clinic implementation and their perceived impact.

MAIN RESULTS

Policy makers' perspective indicates that mobile health clinics have improved coverage of essential maternal and child health interventions; however, they face financial, human resource-related and logistic constraints. Reported are the increased engagement of the community and awareness of the importance of MCH services, which is believed to have a positive effect on uptake of services. Key informants (KIs)' perceptions and opinions were generally in favour of the mobile clinics, with few cautioning on their potential to provide care in a manner that promotes a continuum of care. Immunization, antenatal care, postnatal care and growth monitoring all seem to be successfully implemented in this mode of service delivery. Nevertheless, all informants perceive mobile clinics as a resource intensive yet unavoidable mode of service delivery given the current situation of having women and children residing in remote settings.

CONCLUSION

While the government shows the clear motive, the need and the willingness to continue providing services in this mode, the plan to sustain them is still a puzzle. We argue that the continuing need for these services should go hand in hand with proper planning and resource mobilization to ensure that they are being implemented holistically and to promote the provision of quality services and continuity of care. Plans to evaluate their costs and effectiveness are crucial, and that will require the collection of relevant health information including outcome data to allow sound evaluations to take place.