"I lost my happiness, I felt half dead and half alive" - a qualitative study of the long-term aftermath of obstetric near-miss in the urban district of Zanzibar, Tanzania.

Background: This study aims to explore the stories of three women from Zanzibar, Tanzania, who survived life-threatening obstetric complications. Their narratives will increase understanding of the individual and community-level burden masked behind the statistics of maternal morbidity and mortality in Tanzania. In line with a recent systematic review of women-centred, qualitative maternal morbidity research, this study will contribute to guidance of local and global maternal health agendas.