Pammla Petrucka alongside students who have worked in Tanzania as part of the Mama Kwanza project
Pammla Petrucka alongside students who have worked in Tanzania as part of the Mama Kwanza project

College of Nursing Professor Receives $3.6 Million Research Grant

The D-Wing Atrium of the new U of S Health Sciences Facility in Saskatoon today was the site of a three year partnership grant announcement.

Led by College of Nursing Professor Pammla Petrucka, in conjunction with many local and Canadian partners, The Mama Kwanza (Mother First) Socio-Economic and Health Initiative received $3.6 million dollars to partner with organizations in northern Tanzania to improve access, quality and local capacity to deliver services to support the health of mothers and their children.

The program will help modernize maternal, newborn and child health services in Arusha District, Northern Tanzania. It will give women access to health and socio-economic services, while strengthening abilities locally to continue delivering these services over the long-run. "The aim is to establish family-centred care, bringing together services from several sectors to support mothers and their children with both health and socio-economic support," said Petrucka.

Currently, patients receive health care at the existing Mama Kwanza clinic, but they also need economic, social, nutritional and educational support to keep them healthy. This new initiative will empower women with tools, such as access to water purification, solar food drying and community gardening. The program also aims to increase the number of local service providers and partners trained in evidence–based approaches for women and children's health.

"Projects, such as Mama Kwanza, provide the knowledge and tools that provide direct benefits both to our partner agencies and the people they serve," said U of S President Ilene Busch-Vishniac. "The world is not something far away. It begins at our doorstep. International research and development initiatives also provide opportunities for our students to become engaged in issues that affect us all, and ultimately, become better citizens of the world."

Funded in part by the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA), the total CIDA contribution to the U of S is $2,569,687 over three years. The balance of the funding will be provided through continuing partnerships with Regina Qu’Appelle Health Region, SaskTel, U of S and Coutts Courier. Tanzanian partners include the City of Arusha Health, Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology and Green Hope.