By Kenneth Simbaya – Recently in Dodoma
May25: Seven days after the President of the United
Republic of Tanzania Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete implored regional leadership across
the country and other stakeholders to end needless maternal, newborn and child deaths
in the country, 81 members of parliament (MPs) have echoed the president’s
appeal by appending their signature on the petition which calls the government
to ensure that health centers in the country provide CEmONC services as
promised in the National Road Map Strategic Plan To Accelerate Reduction of
Maternal, Newborn and Child Deaths in Tanzania 2008-2015.
Evidence for Action Tanzania (E4A) Country Director Craig Ferla who is also the WRA Tanzania Board of Directors chairman delivering a message to MPs on Wednesday May 21, 2014 at the MP petition signing event. Photo by Kenny Simbaya
MPs appended their signatures in Dodoma on Wednesday
last week, at a function organized jointly between The White Ribbon Alliance
For Safe Motherhood Tanzania (WRA Tanzania) and Tanzania Parliamentary Group For
Safe Motherhood. The function took place at Pius Msekwa Parliamentary
Hall.
Speaking to the MPs at the MPs petition signing
function, the national WRA Tanzania coordinator Rose Mlay told MPs that, she
has been heartened to see MPs adding their voice to say NO to avoidable
pregnant mothers, newborn and child deaths, by ensuring that health centers
have Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Care (CEmONC).
“We have had enough deaths of mothers and babies, we
can’t continue loosing innocent lives like this,” remarked Rose Mlay, demanding
MPs to tell her what overrides life?
According to Mlay whatever we do, be it agriculture,
infrastructure, business, water etcetera is for life, how comes we ignore
maternal and newborn deaths and prioritize other things.
Speaking at the launch of Sharpened One Plan on The National
Road Map Strategic Plan To Accelerate Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child
Deaths in Tanzania 2008-2015, a plan aimed at contributing to achieving
Millennium Development Goals number 4&5, President Kikwete called for
increased accountability and good stewardship at both national and local government
in implementing and managing the national plan for Reproductive Maternal, Newborn
and Child Health.
“I want this to be a permanent political agenda at all
levels of our government. We must use this opportunity to ensuring that every
level takes this matter seriously. The
undertaking made by the Regional Commissioner today is very reassuring indeed”,
Kikwete told regional commissioners, regional medical officers, regional
administrative secretaries and other stakeholders at the launch of the Sharpened
One Plan on May 15th at Julius Nyerere International Conference
Center.
President of the United Republic of Tanzania Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete (fourth seating from left) after launching The National Road Map Strategic Plan To Accelerate Reduction of Maternal, Newborn and Child Deaths in Tanzania 2008-2015 at Julius Nyerere International Conference Center on May 15, 2014. Photo by Kenny Simbaya
On her part Hovieyh Afnan Holmes, speaking at
the launch of the Sharpened One Plan on behalf of a mulitidisplinary,
multiinstitutional collaboration that advocates to ending preventable maternal,
newbron and child deaths globally known as Countdown to 2015, a team which
helped the ministry of health and social
welfare (MoHSW) come up with the Sharpened Plan, said Global Countdown to 2015 is
looking for accountability at the national and local government and partners to
ensure accountability for the actions highlighted in the Sharpened One Plan,
specifically around family planning, care at birth, so that by 2030 progress
will be made and no one will be left behind.
Ellaborating further when reached
by this paper Hoviyeh said that accountability is crucial at all levels of the government,
but more important at the local government, the point of implementation in
Tanzania and civil society is required to facilitate the implementation of the
Sharpened One Plan during the next 600 days before the end of 2015 (a time when
MDGs ends) and beyond.
She said This Plan aims to address
the unmet need for family planning, address the gaps for coverage and quality
of care at birth, and continue the progress already achieved in child health.
According to Hoviyeh, based on the
data a particular emphasis needs to be placed on women from the Western and
Lake Zones who are being left behind for family planning services, and on rural
women and babies who are being left behind for care at birth. As global
Countdown they helped with the analysis that shows that 18,400 lives could be
saved by the end of 2015 if rapid action leads to the implementation of the
plan across Tanzania.
“Having a good plan or policy is
only the first step. To save lives this Plan must be implemented and especially
to reach the poorest. Accountability requires that the government plays their
role to implement but also requires that civil society - and the media - keep
track and hold the government accountable. Countdown to 2015 supports and endorses
the use of the Tanzanian regional and district scorecards, launched at the
event, a tool by which to facilitate this accountability and track what
progress is being made,” Hovieh told the Guardian.
Countdown to 2015 tracks tracks
coverage levels for health interventions proven to reduce maternal, newborn and
child mortality, it calls for governments and development partners to be
accountable, identifies knowledge gaps, and propsoes new actions to reach MDGs
4 & 5. The policy brief for the Sharpened One Plan can be found on
htt://www.countdown2015mnch.org
Available data show that Tanzania has achieved MDG4, which is about reducing child motarlity by two thirds, but MDG5 which about reducing maternal motarity by tow thirds is still a mount Kilimanjaro task to the country.
Available data show that Tanzania has achieved MDG4, which is about reducing child motarlity by two thirds, but MDG5 which about reducing maternal motarity by tow thirds is still a mount Kilimanjaro task to the country.
According to the Presdient, the
target for Tanzania is to have 193 deaths for every 100,000 live births by
2015, but at currently Tanzania records 454 per 100, 000 births and hence
making it very difficult for the country to achieve the target.