‘Samia efforts vital for Africa’
NEW YORK: Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndeitwah has lauded President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s dedication to safeguarding the health and dignity of women and children, emphasizing that such initiatives are vital to Africa’s future.
Speaking in New York last Friday, President Nandi-Ndeitwah noted that treating maternal and child health investments as core drivers of human capital, economic growth, and sustainable development directly benefits the entire continent.
She was addressing a highlevel meeting titled “Advocacy for a New Era: Women Leading Maternal and Child Health for All” (SHE RISES), organized by Dr Samia in her capacity as the African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health. The gathering took place on the sidelines of the 81st Session of the United Nations General Assembly.
President Nandi-Ndeitwah urged African nations to strengthen domestic financing for maternal and child health rather than relying heavily on external assistance, asserting that the continent’s overall development is inextricably linked to the well-being of its people.
She added that Namibia remains committed to working alongside Tanzania to advance the broader African Union agenda on maternal and child health.Representing President Samia at the meeting, Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembi said Tanzania’s experience demonstrated that political commitment backed by resources and effective implementation could produce measurable improvements in the lives of women and children.
He said maternal deaths in Tanzania declined from 556 to 104 per 100,000 live births between 2015 and 2022, while deaths among children under five fell from 67 to 43 per 1,000 live births during the same period. The Vice-President said the health budget had also increased from about 780bn/- in financial year.
He added that the M-Mama emergency referral system had facilitated more than 150,000 emergency referrals involving pregnant women and newborns by August 2026.
“These steps show that when political will is combined with resources and implementation, it can bring changes that directly touch people’s lives,” Mr Ndejembi said.
At the continental level, he said President Samia, in her role as AU Champion for Maternal and Child Health, was promoting the African Union Champion Roadmap for Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health.
The roadmap includes the “Three Zeros” agenda, which seeks to eliminate home deliveries, preventable maternal and newborn deaths and children who have not received vaccinations.
Through SHE RISES, Tanzania is also advocating for women to move beyond being recipients of health services and become active participants in leadership and decisionmaking processes that shape health systems.
United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) Executive Director, Diene Keita, commended President Samia’s leadership and Tanzania’s role in elevating maternal and child health on Africa’s political agenda.
She said progress would require political commitment reflected in national budgets, investment in reproductive health services and stronger support for midwives, who play a critical role in saving the lives of mothers and children.
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UNFPA, she added, would continue supporting such efforts, particularly initiatives led by countries and leaders capable of translating global commitments into practical services and measurable results for women and children.
World Health Organisation (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, Prof Mohamed Janabi, said political commitment, when matched with investment, accountability and action, could continue saving the lives of mothers and children.
He commended President Samia’s leadership, saying maternal and child health was not only a health issue but also a development, economic and human rights concern.
Prof Janabi said women were a critical pillar of Africa’s health systems, accounting for about 70 per cent of the health workforce on the continent.
Despite their contribution, however, he said women remained underrepresented in decision-making, accounting for only about 25 per cent of those involved in such processes.
He said SHE RISES sought to ensure that women had a stronger voice in policymaking, budgeting, priority-setting and leadership decisions affecting maternal and child health.
Earlier, Tanzania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Togolani Mavura, said the meeting should serve as a catalyst for renewed responsibility to ensure that maternal and child health received greater priority and that quality and equitable services were accessible in different parts of the world.
