Deputy Minister for health, Dr Faustine Ndungulile cuts a ribbon rapped in a leaning resources materials to launch of the More and Better Midwives for Rural Tanzania Project in Misungwi Mwanza on Wednesday October 18. Right is Jhpiego Tanzania Country Director, Mr Jeremie Zoungrana and on his left is Misungwi District Commissioner, Juma Sweda and he Global Affairs Canada (GAC) representative, Mr Tommie Roberts (holding a phone)
Misungwi. The Government has taken significant measures including introducing good policies that support strengthening in midwifery care so that the country can have quality and competence midwives for a well-being of women and children in Tanzania.
This was said here on Wednesday October 18 by the Deputy Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Dr Faustine Ndugulile.
He made the remarks when speaking during the official launch of the project dubbed More and Better Midwives for Rural Tanzania (MBM-RTz), funded by the Canadian government through its Global Affairs Department and implemented by Jhpiego in collaboration with AMREF Health Africa and Canadian Association of Midwives (CAM)/Tanzania Midwives Association (TAMA).
“The Government of Tanzania under the leadership of President John Pombe Magufuli care much about women and child health and we have focused on improving maternal and child health care and making it a priority all the time,” he said.
He noted that having a healthy mother and a healthy baby and family integrity can only result from high quality services from midwives.
Speaking on measures its ministry has in reducing the serious shortage of nurses and other health officials, the Deputy Minister said the government currently work in collaboration with development stakeholders in ensuring the existing gap is filled with competent and skilled workforce.
The Minister’s remark comes as reports indicate that Tanzania has about 23,000 practicing nurses and midwives registered with Nurses and Midwifery Council while actual needs is between 80,000 to 100,000 Nurses countrywide.
Earlier, the Jhpiego Tanzania Country Director, Mr Jeremie Zoungrana, commended Tanzania’s efforts in ensuring maternal and child care saying that should also be the focus of any development partner from the family level.
He said the More and Better Midwives for Rural Tanzania (MBM-RTz), come just to compliments Governments efforts in ensuring it reduces death by ensuring women had access to professional midwives.
The ultimate goal of the project which is the five years (2016-2020) worth $10.4 million (about Sh25 billion) is to improve health and wellbeing of women and children in eight regions within the Lake and Western zones which include Mwanza, Kagera, Mara, Simiyu, Shinyanga, Kigoma, Tabora, and Geita.
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