Citizen Engagement crucial for improved government responsiveness on maternal, newborn and child health.

By Kenneth Simbaya just back from Tanga.

 Citizen Hearing or simply call it citizen engagement is a promising game changer for women’s,  children’s and newborn’s health in the country if the country is to  reduce maternal, children and new-borns  deaths. I can  authoritatively say following a one week Citizen Hearing exercise in Tanga region and Dar es Salaam, which was organized as part of White Ribbon day observations.

Citizen Hearing organized by  White Ribbon Alliance Tanzania (WRATZ) an alliance of individuals, governmental and non governmental institutions advocating for safe motherhood in the country and
globally took place in Handeni, Kilindi, Korogwe and Tanga Municipal  between March 7 through 14th and climaxing with the national Citizen Hearing on March26th broadcasted live through ITV’s Malumbano ya Hoja  programme.

Picture:Suleiman Abdalla (center) from Korogwe district, asking the Korogwe district Community Development Officer (right) a question at the Citizen Hearing exercise, left is Kenneth Simbaya facilitating the session.   


 According to WRATZ the exercise aimed at bringing together citizens and government officials to listen to each other and act on women’s,  children’s and newborn’s health priorities, with the intent of
increasing accountability for maternal, newborn and child health  (MNCH).

“The government need to work closer with citizens so as to enable citizen engagement and government responsiveness, hence bring the  accountability needed to end needless deaths to innocent mothers and  new-borns,”said Rose Mlay, WRATZ  National Coordinator.

Currently according to World Health Organization and Ministry of  Health and Social Welfare statistics 7,900 mothers die annually from  pregnancy related complications, 40,000 babies do not survive the  first month of their life, 47,000 are born dead (stillbirth).

 According to Rose 80% of these deaths could be served if both wananchi  and government played their role accordingly, especially ensuring the  availability of Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric Newborn and Child Care (CEmONC) as pledged by the government in One Plan, a government
document detailing government pathways to reduction of maternal,  newborn and child deaths in the country.

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Tanzania, National Coordinator Rose Mlay, elaborating a point at the Citizen Hearing exercise in Kilindi district, Tanga region.

Speaking at the climax of the White Ribbon Day (March15 2015) the  WRATZ Board of Director Chairman Craig John Ferla said that White  Ribbon Day is not a celebration but a day to reflect on the  preventable deaths of thousands of our mothers and babies.

White Ribbon Alliance for Safe Motherhood Tanzania, Board of Directors Chairperson Craig John Ferla addressing the audience at the climax of White Ribbon Day on March 15, 2015, at Tangamano grounds in Tanga city, Tanga region.

Craig said, since the last White Ribbon Day was marked in Rukwa region  in 2014, it is estimated approximately 8,000 women in Tanzania will have died in pregnancy or childbirth, which put in context is almost equivalent to the total number of people who lost their lives to Ebola in Sierra Leone, Liberia and Guinea during the same time, and yet look at the global attention and panic to contain the epidemic compared to the relative silence surrounding the loss of our mothers.
“This tragic loss is taken to another scale when counting the deaths  of our newborns and stillbirths during the same period,  it is estimated that 40,000 newborn babies will have died, and a further
47,000 babies born dead, with half of them dying during delivery,”

Craig told the audience adding that This is like the whole of Tanga  City population being wiped away after every three years – and  considering that most of these deaths are preventable by interventions  that are within our means, it is clear to all that this prevailing
situation is unacceptable.

“We all must do more to reverse this tragic loss of our mothers and  babies – accountability needs to be practiced by all and not simply  preached,” Craig stressed.

He demanded that much more resources be spent on interventions to save  the lives of our mothers and babies.

Khalid Mohamed Mngulu, presenting children's views on how to reduce maternal and newborn deaths during the Citizen Hearing exercise in Handeni district Tanga region.

According to the WRATZ Board of Directors Chairman, as much as there  is excellent political will in maternal, newborn and child health, and  strong evidence-based national strategies, we will never be able to  achieve our goals without backing this up with the necessary  investment to deliver quality and equitable health services.

White Ribbon Day was observed at National level in Tanga region and  officiated by the Tanga regional commissioner on behalf of the  Minister of Health and Social Welfare Dr Seif Selemani Rashid.

Officiating the event the Tanga RC said that reduction of maternal  death is one of the Millennium Development Goals which our country has  committed to. Maternal reduction is MDG number five, which calls for  countries around the world to cut maternal deaths by 75% by December
31st 2015.

Kwediboma Ward Councilor Mwajuma Hatibu Sempule, responding to questions from citizens at the Ctizen Hearing exercise in Kilindi district Tanga region.

Maternal death in Tanzania at the time of the commitment stood at 526  per 100,000 live births, MDG commitment calls Tanzania to cut the  deaths to 193 per 100,000 live births.

The RC called for increased accountability if we are to end needless  deaths of maternal, newborn and child deaths in the country. He  appealed to mothers to ensure that they deliver in health facilities,  strengthen family planning for safer planned pregnancies.

Tanga Regional Medical Officer (RMO) Dr Asha Mahita, responding to questions from citizens at the Citizen Hearing in Tanga city, Tanga region.


 Ends