Mobile ultrasound in primary healthcare on Zanzibar

On Zanzibar, Johanna, a German midwife, has been working for some time with a mobile ultrasound device that she received on loan through the Mount Meru Foundation. Through her work, she is active in four different primary healthcare clinics, where she contributes daily to improved diagnostics for pregnant women and other patients.

Using the mobile ultrasound device, she performs approximately 500 to 600 ultrasound examinations each month. The primary focus is on obstetric scans: confirming pregnancies, determining the estimated due date, and identifying potential risks. These examinations regularly detect, among other findings, breech presentations, multiple pregnancies, low-lying placentas, growth restriction, or intrauterine fetal death. Serious congenital abnormalities are identified less frequently.

In addition to pregnancy-related scans, gynecological ultrasound examinations are also performed, for example in cases of bleeding in early pregnancy, suspected ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, fibroids, cysts, or free fluid. Limited screening of the kidneys, liver, and gallbladder is also carried out.

This project demonstrates how mobile ultrasound can play a crucial role in primary healthcare, particularly in settings where fixed equipment is not always available.

The Mount Meru Foundation sees how the mobile ultrasound device makes a daily difference in the care provided to pregnant women and other patients on Zanzibar.