Using Research to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health services in primary health care in Tanzania: highlights from the international primary health care conference

Abstract

Introduction: in its pursuit of the global commitments outlined in the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Tanzania has significantly improved its health sector. The primary health care (PHC) system, where the majority of Tanzanians receive care, has seen notable improvements in the infrastructure, financing, and human resources over the years. To highlight these improvements, the first international primary health care conference (iPHC) was inaugurated to share evidence from the PHC. This paper aims to document the extent and the type of research on Reproductive Maternal Neonatal Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) from the first iPHC in 2024. Methods: we employed a desk review approach that involved a thorough analysis of abstracts submitted to the iPHC from 1st to 12th July 2024. We conducted descriptive content analysis of the 29 abstracts submitted and presented under the RMNCAH subtheme of the iPHC. Results: a total of 40 out of the 145 abstracts accepted for the iPHC were in the RMNCAH subtheme. From the 40 abstracts, 25 abstracts were used in the final analysis. Three categories were developed from the analysis: 1. Research on perinatal and preventive health care services, 2. Research on improving pediatric, adolescent, and youth health, and 3. Crosscutting improvements of RMNCAH in PHC services. Conclusion: research is conducted in the RMNCAH space within the PHC setting in Tanzania. While most research presented focused on antenatal care and delivery services, there is a need to encourage documenting the evidence through research and dissemination in other RMNCAH areas.