What You Need to Know
The Temeke District Council in Dar es Salaam is grappling with a significant challenge due to high birth rates, with over 70,000 children born annually. This surge is straining local education and health services, prompting the government to implement urgent measures, including building new hospitals and schools to accommodate the growing population.
Africa-Press – Tanzania. THE Temeke District Council in Dar es Salaam is facing a major challenge due to a rapid increase in the number of children resulting from high birth rates among expectant mothers, a situation that is increasingly straining the education and health sectors.
Speaking during a meeting of the Temeke District Councilors, the District Commissioner, Sixtus Mapunda, said that more than 70,000 children are born in the district every year, equivalent to over 100 births per day. According to him, the trend has forced the government to put in place urgent measures to cope with the growing population.
Mapunda said the measures include the construction of two new referral hospitals, which will raise the number of referral hospitals in Temeke from three to five. The plan also includes the construction of multi-storey schools to accommodate the rising number of students resulting from the high birth rate.
Additionally, the District Commissioner directed councilors from all Temeke wards to begin educating the public and overseeing the implementation of presidential directives to remove small-scale traders from unauthorized areas, including roadside locations, particularly in Mabagala and Tandika.
Speaking at the same meeting, the Mayor of Temeke Municipality, Uzairu Abdul Athumani, together with the Municipal Director, acknowledged receiving the government directives and pledged to implement them effectively. The leaders said the implementation would go hand in hand with strategies to develop new revenue sources to support development projects, including the redevelopment of the Tandika and Kurasini areas.
In another development, Mapunda said Temeke District’s long-term plan is to completely phase out gravel roads and shift to the construction of tarmac roads in all neighborhoods. He also noted that the district plans to promote the construction of high-rise residential buildings and build a new office complex for the Temeke District Commissioner in order to create space for investors at the current site.
Tanzania has been experiencing high birth rates for several years, which poses challenges for local governance and resource allocation. The Temeke District, as part of Dar es Salaam, is particularly affected due to its dense population and limited infrastructure. The government’s response includes enhancing healthcare and educational facilities to meet the needs of a rapidly growing population, reflecting broader national efforts to address demographic pressures and improve living conditions in urban areas.
