The HealthBridge IMCHA project to improve access to health services and quality care for mothers and children took place in Tanzania from 2015-2020. HealthBridge worked with local partners to study how poverty, social and gender barriers and living in rural areas contribute to delays in access to, quality of and utilization of maternal and child health services in the Iringa region of Tanzania.

A publication associated with this project has been released titled, “The effect of community-based interventions on the uptake of select maternal and child health services: experiences of the IMCHA project in Iringa Tanzania, 2015-2020.” Although community-based interventions are considered as an important strategy to improve the uptake of maternal and child health services, not many studies have been conducted on this topic and this publication fills a gap in evidence. Surveys were used to examine the trajectory and trend of select maternal and child health indicators and in-depth interviews and focus group discussions to learn more details about the communities’ experiences. The study concluded that community-based interventions through participatory women groups are key for the uptake of maternal and child health services.