AfricaPress-Tanzania: THE Civic United Front (CUF) presidential candidate, Professor Ibrahim Lipumba, has promised to raise the ministry of health’s budget by 15 per cent over the next ten years, if he is elected president.
Addressing a campaign rally on Tuesday he said that the budgetary increase will facilitate the acquisition of adequate modern infrastructure, specialists, medical equipment and tests for all diseases.
According to Prof Lipumba, the increase would facilitate the allocation of a special fund that would facilitate swift response to outbreaks such as Covid-19.
“The Government of National Unity will ensure 70 per cent of Tanzanians have health insurance by 2025, and 100 per cent by 2028. Special measures will be taken to ensure maternity services are available freely to pregnant women, so as to reduce the number of avoidable deaths,” he asserted.
CUF launched its campaigns at Sabasaba grounds in Mtwara last Tuesday, where he said that among other things, they will invest heavily in women and children’s health; ensuring high quality maternal health care with improved facilities for every woman and better care for their children.
“We will ensure provision of improved health care services especially on nutrition for women and children,” he said, noting that most pregnant women had for a long time faced challenges during delivery due to poor nutrition they receive during pregnancy.
Prof Lipumba promised to ensure that the country’s economy grows by 10 per cent annually, highlighting key areas that the party will focus on if elected, as including improvement of business environment, education, agriculture and health sectors.
He said they would improve the business environment through advancing local and foreign investment in the country and revive industries to curb unemployment among the youth.
“If elected to lead the nation on October 28 this year, the party will make major economic reforms in the country,” he said.
Pro Lipumba said his party had the best policy suitable for improving and ensuring a favorable environment for investments, businesses and entrepreneurship activities in the country.
“We need to ensure that money supply meets the demand and this will be possible if we invest more and ensure the country’s GDP grows by ten per cent per year and money supply advances to 20 per cent annually,” he said.
