President Jakaya Kikwete has said prospects of Tanzania attaining the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on maternal health are slim.

He said yesterday the Government's efforts to reduce maternal mortality by 75 per cent in 2015 could be hampered by the lack of funds.

Opening the 5th Near East and Africa Medical Women International Association (MWIA) congress in Dar es Salaam, President Kikwete said maternal mortality was still a big challenge to Tanzania and many other African countries.

"Tanzania has one of the highest maternal mortality rates in the world," he said to 300 female medical doctors and delegates attending the three-day conference.

The country records at least 578 deaths caused by pregnancy-related complications for every 100,000 live births, the President told the meeting held under the theme 'Developing World Towards Achieving Health related MDGs by 2015'.

"In total about 8,000 mothers die every year while giving life to another human being. This is far too much. This is not fair. It is not acceptable," he said.

However, President Kikwete said the Government had introduced a number of strategies to address the problem, including the 'Deliver Now Campaign' aimed at providing pregnant women with easy access to proper medical care.

In addition, he cited the 'One Plan' programme launched in April last year, which is designed to reduce the number of maternal, child and newborn deaths. "Both public and private partners are working together to reduce maternal deaths.

And with increased budgetary allocation to health, this will place us in a better position than now to deliver on MDGs 4, 5 and 6," the President said.

On the recent World Population Day celebrations, the Government revealed that in one region at least 252 women die each year from pregnancy-related complications.

The problem has often been blamed on the country's poor public health system, which is dogged by a critical shortage of equipment, as well as skilled nurses and doctors.

But in a bid to improve health delivery, the Government recently introduced the Health Policy and Primary Health Care Development Programme (2007 - 2017).

It has also launched the Health Sector Strategic Plan III, which specially aims to boost efforts to achieve health-related MDGs.

And President Kikwete told the meeting that over the past four years the Government had "taken bold steps to increase budgetary allocations to the health sector".

He said a programme was underway to construct more dispensaries in all villages across the country to ensure easy access to health facilities and skilled medical professionals.

Currently, the health sector receives 11.6 per cent of budget funds, and ranks third in budget priority areas after education and infrastructure. Overall per capita health expenditure has increased from $5 in 2003/04 to $14 in 2007/08.

"It is a significant rise although in real terms it is still too low," President Kikwete said, adding that the lack of resources was the major challenge to health sectors in all poor countries. He called on donor nations to meet their obligations and pledges to help developing countries with resources and enable them attain health-related MDGs.

The President also urged the Medical Women Association of Tanzania (Mewata) - hosts of the conference - to help the country meet the MDGs by stepping up its efforts on diagnosing and treating cervical cancer.

He said the Government was ready to provide Mewata with financial assistance to help it expand its services to remote rural areas, where most women still walk several hours to get to the nearest health centre.

The Head of State said he was "very proud of the tremendous achievements you (Mewata) have made in fighting for women's health, including addressing the plight of breast cancer".

More so, he urged the association to continue partnering the Government, and involve male medical practitioners in efforts to reduce maternal mortality.

In addition, President Kikwete called on the need to have exchange programmes to share knowledge and information on medical issues.

Earlier, Health and Social Welfare minister Prof David Mwakyusa also decried the fact that Tanzania was not doing well on health-related MDGs. The minister cited maternal health as one area the country was still lagging behind other developing nations.

He said the problem had been compounded by the lack of willingness among the majority women in the country to go for regular check-up.

"Women should be aware of their health status and undergo frequent thorough check ups, this way we can all contribute to the fight against illnesses like cervical cancer;" he said.

For her part, Mewata chairman, Dr Marina Njelekela said poverty, now worsened by the current global financial crisis, and political instability in some countries were the major factors causing high mortality rates.