Dr. Zaman’s Visit
This weekend Dr. Zaman came to Zanzibar, and we had a productive couple of days with him. On Saturday he met the SUZA medical students for the first time. We spent a few hours updating him on our findings in the field from the past four weeks, and got him up to speed with the biggest issues we noticed in the communities we visited. On Sunday we went to a local
witch doctor, who showed us the traditional plants and herbs used for treating different ailments. More
Ministry of Health Meeting
Earlier this week, we were fortunate to meet with the Principal Secretary for the Ministry of Health in Zanzibar, Dr. Mohamed Saleh Jiddawi. We wanted to meet with him in order to have a better understanding of the regulatory processes our eventual device will go through before implementation. A former resident of Boston, he was very excited to see “his friends from the Green Line.” We were informed of a number of issues of Zanzibar’s health climate that mirror the issues we have learned of from our data collection. One staggering fact was that fifty percent of births on Unguja occur in the lone referral hospital, Mnazi Mmoja. This explains the overcrowded nature of the hospital and the biggest flaw in the local referral system. As far as making sure our device passes regulation, Dr. Jiddawi suggested we consult the Tanzanian Food and Drug Administration (TFDA), Zanzibar Medical Research & Ethics Committee (ZAMREC), and the Zanzibar Food & Drug Board. He did propose that permission from these organizations would be easier to achieve if our device is non-invasive and if we can ensure mothers will accept and use it. Once we gain permission from those organizations to use our device in the country, the Ministry of Health will help us distribute and implement our device in health facilities in Zanzibar.
Fantastic Stories from the Field
In the past few weeks we have met so many women with incredible stories. Their experiences do a better job than we ever could of illustrating maternal health and barriers to care in Zanzibar, and we would like to share a few.
Eid
Jared
Eid to me seemed quite literally like Christmas in July. It seemed, more specifically, like Christmas and Halloween in July. Like Christmas, kids receive their nice new dresses and kanzus and kofias (male dresses and caps), as well as other toys. Then, they would go trick-or-treating for “Eidi,” and be given money instead of candy.
The New Normal
It is interesting to see the culture here in Zanzibar 
and how greatly it differs from Boston. Throughout our adventures, here are some of the things we have gotten used to seeing and doing on a daily basis: More
Concrete Device Ideas
Within the past week we’ve been able to visit the three biggest hospitals in Unguja: Mnazi Mmoja, Makunduchi, and Kivunge. Between those three and three more rural hospitals, we’ve spoken to over 100 mothers and 30 health workers. We have confirmed that the three biggest problems pregnant women face are anemia, post partum hemorrhage and pre-eclampsia, however infant mortality is also very prevalent so we’re exploring device ideas that address infants as well as mothers. More
The Ramadan Experience
This year the month of Ramadan is from June 17 to July 17, so we overlap with a significant portion of it while we’re here. We’ve been told that Zanzibar will really come alive once Ramadan is over, but it’s been incredibly interesting to experience the religious culture of Stone Town. The fast begins at dawn every day; those participating do not eat or drink while the sun is out. More
Urban Hospital Visits
Thursday and Friday of last week we continued with interviews in hospitals around Stone Town. We visited Mwembe Ladu Hospital where we were able to speak staff and mother in both the maternity ward and the antenatal clinic, and the Rahaleo antenatal/reproductive health clinic. More
Hospital and WHO visits
(From left to right) Sumayya, Safia, Jared, Maya, Sara (Photo taken by Asaa)
The last few days we have been working with the SUZA team to refine the long list of questions that resulted from previous brainstorming sessions. Today was an exciting day because we finally received permission from the Minister of Health to begin interviews in the hospital. This morning we worked in teams of two and began speaking with doctors, nurses, lab technicians, and mothers at the antenatal clinic in Mnazi Mmoja Hospital in Stone Town.
Mbweni Ruins, Dhow Cruise, and Stonetown Tour
For our first weekend in Stonetown we were able to go on a couple excursions. Saturday we took a dala dala, the local bus, to Mbweni Ruins. The ruins seem to be the remnants of a huge stone palace, and they have an adjoining tourist beach. That evening, we took an evening cruise on a dhow boat and got to see some beautiful views of Stonetown at sunset. More
