Marking the 175th anniversary of the Danish constitution, senior research scientist Donat Shamba was invited to represent the Ifakara Health Institute at an event held on Wednesday, June 5, 2024, at the Royal Danish Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. The occasion also served as a platform to honor the partnership between Ifakara and Denmark and to celebrate Danish bilateral development cooperation.

Empowering healthcare workers

Central to this partnership is the groundbreaking Safe Delivery App project, funded by the Danish Embassy in Tanzania and implemented by Ifakara under the coordination of Donat. This innovative smartphone application, available in both English and Swahili, provides skilled birth attendants with immediate and direct access to evidence-based, up-to-date clinical guidelines for basic emergency obstetric and neonatal care (BEmONC). Additionally, the app includes essential preventive protocols, significantly supporting the daily work of healthcare professionals in Tanzania.

Nationwide Implementation

The Safe Delivery App was officially launched on November 19, 2021, by Dr. Grace Magembe, the then Deputy Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, alongside the Danish Ambassador to Tanzania, H.E. Ms. Mette Nørgaard Dissing-Spandet. The launch took place during the Ministry of Health’s RMNCAH (Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health) Annual Scientific Conference. 

Following the successful launch, Donat and his team at Ifakara, in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and the President's Office - Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), embarked to integrate the app into healthcare systems across all regions and districts in mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar.