title: Health facility-based data on women receiving sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine during pregnancy in Tanzania: lessons to learn from a cross-sectional survey in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts and other national survey reports.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A study of health facility (HF) data on women receiving sulphadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) for intermittent preventive treatment of malaria during pregnancy (IPTp) was carried out at antenatal care clinics in Mkuranga and Mufindi districts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A review of health management information system (HMIS) registers, interviews with health-care workers (HWs) and district and national level malaria control program managers corroborated by inter-temporal assessment through observations at HF levels. Statistical data were analyzed in Excel and interpreted in triangulation with qualitative data from interviews and observations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Data indicated that IPTp doses administered to women were inadequate and partly inconsistent. HMIS registers lacked space for IPT records, forcing HWs to manipulate their record-keeping. The proportion/number of IPTp recipients in related to the supply of SP for free delivery, to women's attendance behaviours, showed variation by quarter and year of reporting.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is impossible to achieve rational health service planning when the HMIS is weak. Whilst it is acknowledged that the HMIS is already overloaded, concerted measures are urgently needed to accommodate data on new interventions and other vertical programs if malaria programs are to achieve their goals.
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Systems & Policy Research & Centre for Enhancement of Effective Malaria Interventions (CEEMI), National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) - Headquarters, 2448 Ocean Road, P,O, Box 9653, Dar-Es-Salaam, Tanzania. gmmubyazi@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Godfrey M
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Mubyazi
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Byskov
authors.forename: Pascal
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Magnussen
authors.forename: Ib C
authors.initials: IC
authors.lastname: Bygbjerg
authors.forename: Jasper N
authors.initials: JN
authors.lastname: Ijumba
authors.forename: Mufungo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marero
authors.forename: Leonard Eg
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Mboera
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Molteni
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bloch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004338:Drug Combinations; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008288:Malaria / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011247:Pregnancy; D015597:Pregnancy Complications, Parasitic / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D011739:Pyrimethamine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013413:Sulfadoxine / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D013636:Tanzania
chemical_list: D004338:Drug Combinations; C001205:fanasil, pyrimethamine drug combination; D013413:Sulfadoxine; D011739:Pyrimethamine