title: Expanding comprehensive postabortion care to primary health facilities in Geita District, Tanzania.
abstract: A postabortion care program was implemented in 11 primary and secondary health facilities in rural Tanzania in order to decentralize comprehensive postabortion care to community level by upgrading midlevel providers to perform manual vacuum aspiration (MVA). Information about evacuation procedure and family planning (FP) service provided was obtained from the health facilities. In all, 2025 evacuations had been performed with MVA and D&C accounting for 65.6% and 34.4%, respectively. Among the women admitted with abortion complications, 59.8% left with a FP method. The proportion of women offered FP service differed by evacuation procedure, hence the proportion was higher among women evacuated by MVA. Upgrading midlevel providers to perform MVA is an efficient means to address the problem of unsafe abortion in rural areas. However, the sustainability of MVA service provision remains a challenge. Moreover, FP services should be offered to all postabortion clients regardless of evacuation procedure.
authors.affiliation: University of Copenhagen, Denmark. karolinekragelund@stud.ku.dk
authors.forename: Karoline Kragelund
authors.initials: KK
authors.lastname: Nielsen
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lusiola
authors.forename: Joseph
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kanama
authors.forename: Juliana
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bantamby
authors.forename: Nassor
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kikumbih
authors.forename: Vibeke
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rasch
mesh_terms: D000028:Abortion, Induced / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003191:Comprehensive Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D003695:Delivery of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D005193:Family Planning Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011182:Postoperative Care; D011247:Pregnancy; D011320:Primary Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration; D011787:Quality of Health Care / Q000458:organization & administration*; D012424:Rural Population; D013636:Tanzania