80% Reduction in Maternal Mortality in Tanzania from 2015/16 to 2022

TLDR

• Tanzania has launched a clinical trial to reduce childhood diarrhoeal diseases by testing probiotics alongside the rotavirus vaccine.
• The PRORota Clinical Trial was launched in Dar es Salaam by Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences in collaboration with the National Institute for Medical Research and international partners.
• The trial aims to assess whether probiotics can improve the effectiveness of the rotavirus vaccine and reduce antibiotic use.
• Deputy Permanent Secretary for Health, Prof Tumaini Nagu, reported that maternal mortality decreased from 554 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015/16 to 104 deaths per 100,000 in 2022, marking an 80% reduction.
• The study involves researchers from Tanzania, Norway, Malawi, and Ivory Coast and is supported by the European and Developing Countries Clinical Trials Partnership.