Wazazi Nipendeni – Individual Birth Planning Antenatal Care Card

Wazazi Nipendeni (Love me, parents) is a national, multi-channel social and behavior change communication campaign in Tanzania that aims to empower pregnant women and their partners to take the steps necessary for a healthy pregnancy and safe delivery. This card was a part of the campaign’s package of materials provided to health facilities.

All materials intended for use at the health facility level were distributed at central level to Wazazi Nipendeni service delivery partners, who in turn distributed them to the hospitals, health centers, and dispensaries in which they operate. Materials were expected to reach over 3,400 of Tanzania’s approximately 5,000 health facilities through the 11 collaborating service delivery partners.

The individual birth planning (IBP) antenatal care (ANC) card contains pictures and text descriptions of the six key components of individual birth planning, as well as space to write in the plan for each of the components: due date, name of the health facility for delivery, plan for transport to the health facility, supplies to take to the health facility, who will accompany the woman to the health facility, and who will take care of the home while the mother is away. The back of the card gives a list of the tests, services, and supplies a woman should receive during pregnancy, as well as information on danger signs during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and post-partum. IBP cards are meant to be filled out together with the provider during an early ANC visit, and re-visited at subsequent visits to update with any changes to the plan. This standardized, unbranded, black and white version of the IBP card is meant to be used in health facilities throughout the country even beyond the life of the Wazazi Nipendeni campaign.

Source: Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs

Date of Publication: March 25, 2019