Improving emergency obstetric care and reversing the underutilisation of vacuum extraction: a qualitative study of implementation in Tete Province, Mozambique

Background Maternal and perinatal mortality in Mozambique were declining at a slow pace, despite progress in coverage of institutional childbirth. Implementation of quality emergency obstetric care including vacuum extraction remained inadequate. In 2015–2017, Tete Province achieved remarkable progress in improving emergency obstetric care and reversing the underutilisation of vacuum extraction, with encouraging results for maternal and perinatal outcomes, despite severe resource constraints. This paper presents the experience of Tete Province, generating a rich, contextualised understanding, which might provide generalizable insights and lessons. Methods This qualitative study design is used to present Tete’s experience in improving emergency obstetric care and reversing the underutilisation of vacuum extraction, drawing on principles from implementation science and applying a systems thinking approach. Sources include routine data, documents, social media messages, and the lived experience of the authors, all intimately involved in the implementation process during 2014–2017. Iterative learning and analysis, involving all authors, led to the final interpretations. Results Within a context of severe resource constraints, Tete applied 4 interventions (training, accreditation, audit, monitoring and evaluation with feedback) to improve the implementation of emergency obstetric care. Considerable progress was achieved in vacuum extraction and other signal functions of emergency obstetric care and in the decision-making process for caesarean sections, contributing to important reductions in the provincial institutional maternal mortality and stillbirth rates. Facilitating factors include attributes of the vacuum extraction itself, of the structural and organisational environments in which it was introduced, of the people involved in implementation, and of the process through which the implementation was rolled-out. Conclusions The lessons from implementation science and systems thinking can contribute to surprising results in the improvement of emergency obstetric care including the use of vacuum extraction, even in a severely resource-constrained setting. The creation of conditions for real change, with empowerment of the staff and managers at the front-line of day-to-day practice in Tete may inspire others in similar conditions and circumstances. The underutilisation of vacuum extraction in middle- and low-income countries is indeed a missed opportunity. Its reversion is possible and provides a good chance to make considerable difference in maternal and perinatal outcomes.