ArticleBMJ global health2025
Availability and functioning of neonatal care units and neonatal mortality across five regions in Tanzania: a baseline cross-sectional study in 127 CEmONC health facilities.
Article in BMJ global health, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 5 papers.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
5 citing papers in PubMed.
- Developing paediatric subspecialty training in resource-limited settings; the first neonatology subspeciality program in Tanzania.BMC medical education · 2026Article
- Article
- Article
- Bridging the Survival Gap: Strengthening Post-Discharge Care for Preterm Infants in Tanzania.Annals of global health · 2026Article
- Becoming Culturally Competent: Transformative Learning in an International, Interprofessional Nursing Placement.Global qualitative nursing researchArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
10 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe neonatal mortality rate in Tanzania has remained persistently high, at 24 deaths per 1000 live births. To halve the current death rate by 2030, the WHO recommends that by 2025, at least 80% of districts should have a neonatal care unit (NCU) and use a continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device for respiratory support, among small and sick newborns. This study describes the availability and functioning of NCUs and facility-based neonatal mortality in Tanzania.
methodsFrom December 2020 to March 2021, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 127 health facilities in five regions. Data were collected using structured checklists. The presence of a neonatal intensive care unit or a high dependency unit, a kangaroo mother care ward and a general neonatal ward defined a minimum national NCU recommendation. The presence of one or more admission beds and a neonatal CPAP in the established NCU described the functioning.
resultsOf all health facilities providing comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care services, 48% (61/127) had established an NCU. Only 3% (4/127) met the minimum national NCU recommendation. NCUs were significantly less available in health centres and district hospitals than in regional referral hospitals (p<0.001), and less in public and private facilities than in faith-based organisations (p = 0.001). Moreover, only 31% (40/127) of facilities had at least one neonatal admission bed, and 3% (4/127) had a neonatal CPAP in the NCU. Besides, 75% (30/40) of the functioning NCUs, had one to four beds only. Only 17% (22/127) of facilities had a neonatal admission register. Neonatal admissions and deaths were significantly lower in facilities without functioning NCUs and admission registers (p<0.008, 0.001, respectively). The early (0-7 days) neonatal mortality accounted for 96% (529/550) of registered neonatal deaths.
conclusionsHealth facilities with functioning NCUs are scarce, with few admission beds and CPAP devices. The lack of admission registers implies a significant under-reporting. Tanzania needs to improve the availability of functioning NCUs, with adequate admission beds and equipment to end preventable neonatal deaths, as per global targets, by 2030.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.