Scalable Interventions to Accelerate Postpartum Family Planning Adoption Among First-Time Mothers: Final Report of the Connect Project in Tanzania (May 2025)

The Connect Project (2019–2025), a collaboration between Save the Children and the George Washington University, aimed to accelerate postpartum family planning (PPFP) adoption among first-time mothers (FTMs) in Tanzania through scalable, light-touch interventions. Implemented in partnership with the Ministry of Health and integrated with the USAID-funded Lishe Endelevu project, Connect introduced community- and facility-level enhancements in 62 villages across Bahi and Kongwa districts in Dodoma Region. Community-level interventions included strengthening community support groups, introducing PPFP-focused games, and conducting targeted home visits by community health workers (CHWs). At the facility level, the project supported the rollout of a gender and respectful care on-the-job training (OJT) for healthcare providers.

A cluster-randomized controlled trial and qualitative evaluations demonstrated that the interventions significantly increased modern PPFP adoption, improved knowledge and agency among FTMs, and reduced depression rates. The project also highlighted systemic challenges such as commodity stock-outs, limited CHW recognition, and policy barriers. Despite these, CHWs remained highly motivated, and the interventions were well-aligned with national priorities.

Connect’s findings underscore the potential of integrating simple, scalable enhancements into existing health systems to support young mothers. The report recommends expanding community-based approaches, evaluating the respectful care OJT before national scale-up, addressing policy barriers, and strengthening CHW support and local leadership engagement to ensure sustainability.