Tanzania shares maternal health lessons with Africa

Tanzania’s experience in strengthening maternal and child health is emerging as a source of lessons for African countries seeking to accelerate progress towards the continent’s Three Zeros agenda, with parliamentary leaders calling for stronger legislation, financing and accountability. Speaking on behalf of President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the President’s Adviser on Maternal Health, Ms Ummy Mwalimu, said Tanzania’s continental role focused on translating political commitments into practical improvements in services for women, newborns and children. President Hassan is the African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health, a role through which Tanzania is supporting efforts to accelerate implementation of the continental agenda. Ms Mwalimu said achieving the three zeros—zero home deliveries without skilled care, zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths and zero unvaccinated children—required countries to strengthen policies, financing and the continuum of care. “Essential commodities, including blood, medicines and other lifesaving commodities, must remain a financing priority,” she said. She also stressed the importance of investing in primary healthcare and quality services, saying parliamentary leadership was critical to ensuring health commitments were reflected in national budgets. IPU President Dr Tulia Ackson said President Hassan’s leadership demonstrated the importance of political commitment in tackling preventable maternal and newborn deaths. “At a time when Africa continues to confront unacceptably high levels of preventable maternal and newborn deaths, this political commitment is of great importance,” she said. Dr Ackson said parliaments had a decisive role in turning commitments into results through legislation, resource allocation, oversight and accountability. “The health of women, newborns, children and adolescents is not simply a health issue. It is a matter of human rights, equality, development and national stability,” she said. National Assembly Speaker Mussa Zungu said Tanzania’s Parliament was committed to advancing policies, securing predictable financing and ensuring resources reached frontline services and communities. “Every preventable death and every unmet health need is a call to sustained political commitment and action,” Mr Zungu said. He said Tanzania was ready to share its experience through parliamentary cooperation while learning from other countries. South Africa’s National Assembly Speaker Angela Didiza urged African parliamentarians to learn from Tanzania’s experience, particularly its parliamentary action on parental leave and efforts to increase funding for newborn care. “I want to tell the members of Parliament: learn from what Tanzania has done,” Ms Didiza said. She also challenged Speakers and parliamentary leaders to ensure health committees consistently include maternal and child health in their oversight work. The Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Africa still accounted for about 70 percent of the global maternal mortality burden, with progress towards international targets too slow. “Progress is real, but it is 10 times too slow for the number of members to achieve the SDG targets,” an Africa CDC official said. The agency said Africa had made substantial progress in developing health policies, but gaps remained in coordination, financing and implementation. “Africa has largely won the argument of policy. What is missing is the machinery to deliver,” the official said. Africa CDC called for stronger involvement of finance ministries in health planning and financing, as well as increased local production of essential medicines and lifesaving commodities. Ms Mwalimu said the AU Champion would work with partners, including the IPU and parliamentary groups, to accelerate implementation and ensure commitments made in Arusha were reflected in national budgets. “Let this 153rd IPU Assembly in Arusha mark not simply another meeting, but a shared determination to carry these commitments into national budgets, strengthen existing systems and deliver better services in our communities,” she said.