Health Centers Transform Lives for Island Residents in Mwanza

Residents of Bezi village, an island community in Mwanza, Tanzania, recount harrowing experiences of losing lives due to a lack of basic healthcare services. John James, the Chairman of Bezi Street, shared painful memories of pregnant women dying because they could not reach medical facilities in time. "Pregnant women died because they lacked services... someone in labor at night couldn't get to health services, they had to give birth on the island. In the end, if the situation wasn't good, they died," he said.

For a long time, the community grappled with the immense challenge of distance and cost when seeking medical attention. Traveling to the mainland required hiring boats, an expensive endeavor costing around 150,000 Tanzanian shillings. This financial burden meant many, particularly pregnant women, could not attend necessary clinic appointments, leading to unsupervised births. James added, "We live on an island, a pregnant woman had to leave in the morning to go to the clinic and return in the evening. The costs on the mainland were high, some couldn't afford to attend clinics at all, so they had to give birth without supervision." Some patients tragically died en route or on the lake before reaching healthcare providers.

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Pregnant women died because they lacked services... someone in labor at night couldn't get to health services, they had to give birth on the island. In the end, if the situation wasn't good, they died.

To combat these critical issues, the Tanzanian government allocated significant funds for the construction of a health center on the island. This development has dramatically improved access to essential medical services for the residents. The new facility aims to eliminate the dangerous and costly journeys to the mainland, ensuring that expectant mothers and other patients receive timely and adequate care, thereby saving lives and improving the overall well-being of the island community.

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We live on an island, a pregnant woman had to leave in the morning to go to the clinic and return in the evening. The costs on the mainland were high, some couldn't afford to attend clinics at all, so they had to give birth without supervision.