RESEARCH ARTICLE How Can Childbirth Care for the Rural Poor Be Improved? A Contribution from Spatial Modelling in Rural Tanzania Piera Fogliati1*, Manuela Straneo2, Cosimo Brogi3, Pier Lorenzo Fantozzi3, Robert Mahimbo Salim4, Hamis Mwendo Msengi5, Gaetano Azzimonti2, Giovanni Putoto1 1 Doctors with Africa–CUAMM, Padua, Italy, 2 Doctors with Africa–CUAMM, Iringa, Tanzania, 3 Department of Physical Sciences, Earth and Environment, University of Siena, Siena, Italy, 4 Regional Medical Office, Iringa Region, Iringa, Tanzania, 5 Council Medical Office, Ludewa District Council, Ludewa, Tanzania *
[email protected] Abstract OPEN ACCESS Citation: Fogliati P, Straneo M, Brogi C, Fantozzi PL, Introduction Salim RM, Msengi HM, et al. (2015) How Can Maternal and perinatal mortality remain a challenge in resource-limited countries, particu- Childbirth Care for the Rural Poor Be Improved? A larly among the rural poor. To save lives at birth health facility delivery is recommended. Contribution from Spatial Modelling in Rural Tanzania. PLoS ONE 10(9): e0139460. doi:10.1371/ However, increasing coverage of institutional deliveries may not translate into mortality journal.pone.0139460 reduction if shortage of qualified staff and lack of enabling working conditions affect quality Editor: Julie Gutman, Centers for Disease Control of services. In Tanzania childbirth care is available in all facilities; yet maternal and newborn and Prevention, UNITED STATES mortality are high. The study aimed to assess in a high facility density rural context whether Received: February 19, 2015 a health system organization with fewer delivery sites is feasible in terms of population access. Accepted: September 14, 2015 Published: September 30, 2015 Methods Copyright: © 2015 Fogliati et al.