My name is Zainab Hassan Suleiman I am an Assistant Lecturer at the Department of Nursing and Midwifery, School of Health and Medical Sciences at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA). I am a trained Nurse Midwife with a specialization in critical care and trauma.
I am very pleased to be doing my PhD under the Quality Improvement of Integrated HIV, TB and Malaria Services in ANC and PNC programme. My area of interest is: Improving Reproductive Health In-Service Capacity Strengthening Programs: A Comparison of Blended Learning and Face-to-Face Training Approaches.
Globally, maternal and newborn deaths are increasing, and about 99% of maternal deaths occur in Lower and Middle-Income countries (LMICs) and most could be prevented with timely interventions. Antenatal Care (ANC) and Postnatal Care (PNC) play an important role in helping to prevent maternal and neonatal deaths and the capacity strengthening of healthcare providers to improve the quality of these services is therefore a vital step to reduce these preventable deaths.
My PhD will focus on capacity strengthening of healthcare providers who care for pregnant women and newborn babies during the ANC and PNC periods using blended learning and face to face training approaches. I will then aim to compare these two training approaches of in-service capacity strengthening to improve the quality of ANC and PNC services in Kenya, Zanzibar, Tanzania mainland and Nigeria.
I will assess, evaluate, and compare the effectiveness of these two training approaches using quantitative, qualitative, and cost-effectiveness methodologies. Study sites will include high-volume healthcare facilities in Zanzibar, Tanzania mainland, Kenya, and Nigeria. The study will target ANC and PNC healthcare providers, facility managers, and policymakers in the study areas.
The findings from this study will help inform decision making on policy change in LMIC and improve training modalities for healthcare providers. The number of healthcare providers given the opportunity to strengthen their capacity in ANC and PNC and integration of HIV, TB and Malaria services into these services will increase. This will then improve the quality of services mothers and babies receive during the ANC and PNC period which in turn will reduce the number of maternal deaths.
This PhD study is sposored by
PHD student Zainab Suleiman from SUZA on her studies and research.