Data and indicator estimates are considered vital to document persisting challenges in maternal and newborn health and track progress towards global goals. However, prioritisation of standardised, comparable quantitative data can preclude the collection of locally relevant information and pose overwhelming burdens in low-resource settings, with negative effects on the provision of quality of care. A growing body of qualitative studies aims to provide a place-based understanding of the complex processes and human experiences behind the generation and use of maternal and neonatal health data. In this presentation, PhD candidate Jil Molenaar presents findings from a qualitative systematic review on this topic, combined with preliminary insights from her own qualitative fieldwork in Southern Tanzania.