Tanzania sets a new target to reduce maternal deaths to below 70 per 100,000 live births

MOROGORO: THE Tanzanian government has set a new target to reduce maternal deaths to fewer than 70 per 100,000 live births by 2030/31 as it steps up efforts to improve maternal and child health.

Assistant Director for Child and Adolescent Health in the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) Department, Dr Felix Bundala, revealed this stating that the target is part of the strategic plan being prepared for 2026/27–2030/31.

Speaking during the opening of a workshop in Morogoro to prepare the five-year RMNCAH One Plan IV, Dr Bundala said the new plan will accelerate implementation of interventions aimed at reducing deaths among mothers, newborns and children under five.

“We have made significant progress, but these achievements cannot be the end of the journey. We need to accelerate implementation of interventions to achieve our targets and reduce deaths further,” he said.

He said Tanzania has reduced maternal mortality from 556 deaths per 100,000 live births to 104 per 100,000 live births in 2021/22.

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“Despite this decline, we still need to do more because 104 is above our expectation. That is why we have set a target of bringing it below 70 by 2030/31,” he said.

Additionally, Dr Bundala said the government also aims to reduce newborn deaths from 24 to 12 per 1,000 live births by 2030/31.

Deaths among children under five are targeted to decline from 43 to 25 per 1,000 live births over the same period.

According to the Director, achieving the targets will require a comprehensive assessment of the implementation of the previous plan to identify achievements, challenges and gaps.

The assessment, he added, will help determine interventions likely to deliver greater results during the next five years.