Vol.:(0123456789) Discover Health Systems (2023) 2:19 | https://doi.org/10.1007/s44250-023-00028-8 1 3 Discover Health Systems Research Continuity of essential health services amidst COVID‑19 pandemic in Tanzania: a pre and post implementation support assessment Joseph Hokororo 1  · Anna‑Grace Katembo 2  · Eric Kinyenje 1  · Davis Amani 3  · Anthony Ndjovu 2  · Eliudi Eliakimu 1  · Rita Mutayoba 2  · Michael Kiremeji 1 Received: 22 December 2022 / Accepted: 23 March 2023 © The Author(s) 2023 OPEN Abstract Background The COVID-19 pandemic has potentially caused disruptions in provision of routine, regular essential health services in diferent ways; through overwhelming the health system in responding to COVID-19; some of the intervention used to slow transmission of COVID-19 may inhibit access to essential services; and through supplies of medicine being interrupted.. In Tanzania, unlike many other countries, which did not follow strict lockdown measures, disruption of access to and utilization of EHS due to anxiety and fear of contact with the infection while seeking medical care was observed. Method This was a cross-section study conducted in October 2022 to evaluate trends of utilizing essential health services before and after implantation of continued essential services (CES) project among 297 Amref supported facilities from Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar. It involved the use of secondary data from the district health information system 2 (DHIS2), and extracted variable included; facility type and name, number of individuals using the antenatal, post-natal, immunization and delivery services. Through using STATA version 14, the data was cleaned, and quarterly and yearly average number of clients using either of the services was computed for the period between 2019 and 2021. Findings were presented in form of graphs, and comparison were made for the period before and after the implementation of the project. Results It was found that all key indicators that were assessed were maintained following the implementation of the project interventions that aimed at maintaining EHS during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conclusion The study found that project interventions have remained relevant to the needs of communities as demon- strated by the maintenance of the essential MNCH services, as seen in a number of the key EHS indicators which were tracked. This calls for joint eforts between the government and partners on resource mobilization for scale-up so that the EHS is maintained and the country is prepared for these pandemics. 1 Introduction Countries worldwide are facing many challenges as they strive to ensure that health systems maintain essential health services (EHS) as they respond to the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic [1]. EHS have experienced wide- spread disruption due to pandemic-related social restrictions, high patient caseloads, under resourced health facility infrastructures, and shortages of medical equipment, medicines, diagnostics and staf, with health care workers (HCWs) * Anna-Grace Katembo, annagracekate@gmail.com; Joseph Hokororo, drhokororo@gmail.com; Eric Kinyenje, kinyenje2003@gmail.com; Davis Amani, mlayeman@gmail.com; Anthony Ndjovu, Anthony.Ndjovu@amref.org; Eliudi Eliakimu, eliakimueliudi@yahoo.co.uk; Rita Mutayoba, Rita.Mutayoba@Amref.org; Michael Kiremeji, kiremeji@yahoo.com | 1 Ministry of Health, Dodoma, Tanzania. 2 Amref Health Africa, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. 3 Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.