Author: HARRIET KIAMA
AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE government in Coast Region has commended the implementation of the six-year long health project which is being undertaken in partnership with the Korean government through Korea Foundation for International Health (KOFIH).
Dubbed ‘Health Strengthening through Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Promotion’, the project is vital for improving reproductive and child health services, while saving many lives in Kibaha Town, Kibaha District, Mafia, Kibiti, Rufiji and Kisarawe.
The Korean government is expected to release a total of USD 3 million (about 6.5bn/-) for the project. Already, a total of USD 1.651million has been spent in various activities over the past four years of project implementation.
Bagamoyo District Commissioner Ms Zainab Kawawa showered praises in a speech she delivered on behalf of Coast Regional Commissioner Engineer Evarist Ndikilo at a workshop held in Bagamoyo Town recently.
“Before the project’s initiation in 2015, 887 newborn deaths were recorded and maternal deaths were 82. Through the project, newborn deaths have been reduced and reached 431, while maternal deaths dropped to 67 last year”, she explained.
DC Kawawa mentioned some of the activities which have been conducted over the four years as completion of three theatre rooms at Muhoro and Nyaminywili health centres in Rufiji District, as well as one theatre room at Masaki Health Centre in Kisarawe District.
Others are purchases of two ambulances for Mafia and Kisarawe districts, ultra sound machines, delivery kits and surgical equipments. Plus, training was availed to 235 health sector workers.
Other activities include construction of a maternity building at Kisarawe district hospital, rehabilitation of the reproductive health building in Mafia district hospital and construction of a maternity building at Baleni dispensary in Mafia District.
According to Regional Reproductive and Child Health Coordinator Ms Joyce Gordon, ante natal clinic attendance for expectant mothers has impressively increased from 46.3 per cent in 2016 to 95.3 per cent last year.
“We are grateful that we have already surpassed our target which was to reach 80 per cent by 2021,” she explained.
She furthermore explained that in 2015, there were only three health centres which were providing comprehensive maternal emergency services which include caesarean sections.
The number has increased to 19, pointing out that 18 of them had been financed by the government, while Muhoro health centre in Rufiji District was built by KOFIH.
