Tanzania, Sept. 8 -- Dar es Salaam. Pregnant women in Tanzania can now access epidural labour analgesia, a pain-management procedure that can significantly reduce the pain of contractions while allowing normal labour to continue.

The service is already available at several hospitals, including Benjamin Mkapa Hospital (BMH), where specialists say it can help women remain comfortable while contractions and other stages of labour continue normally.

Speaking to this paper on Monday, September 7, 2026, BMH specialist anaesthetist Dr Wilson Lugano said the procedure blocks pain signals from the uterus to the brain without stopping labour.

A small catheter is inserted into the epidural space in the lower back, near the nerves that carry pain ...