PRIME Minister Kassim Majaliwa has directed that all resources granted for the implementation of various health projects be used cautiously and honestly, to ensure that the intended goals are realised, resulting in community transformation.
He issued the directives on Friday in Dodoma while launching the Afya Yangu programme implemented by United States Agency for International Development (USAID Tanzania).
The five-year programme worth 260 million US dollars (about 604bn/-) will address health services delivery for HIV, tuberculosis, family planning, Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH).
"Local government authorities must give all necessary assistance for the project's successful implementation. This project should not be allowed to be derailed by corrupt executives.
"Leaders must make sure that they review them on a regular basis to ensure that project objectives are met and productivity is achieved," he said.
Mr Majaliwa stated that the sixth phase government led by President Samia Suluhu Hassan has continued to prioritise the health sector by implementing initiatives to increase service delivery, particularly in the fight against HIV and AIDS.
The Premier further said that various efforts by the government and stakeholders have begun to bear fruits; with the implementation of the strategy to reduce mother-to-child transmission of HIV significantly reduced the prevalence rate from 13.5 per cent in 2015 to seven per cent in 2020.
He stated that the government has made maternal and infant mortality a top priority by implementing the Primary Health Promotion Programme.
"As part of this programme, we were required to increase the number of health facilities so that each ward has one."
"By 2020, a total of 487 health facilities and 102 district hospitals had been constructed or renovated to provide primary health care, including antaenatal surgery, this is a huge achievement," said Majaliwa.
According to him, Tanzania is now one of the few sub-Saharan African countries that have largely satisfied United Nations requirements for the delivery of emergency maternal and newborn services.
He mentioned access to emergency services based on population and geographic location, as well as a high rate of mothers giving birth at service delivery centres as criteria.
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu, on her part, thanked USAID Tanzania for assisting the government in improving health services in the country.
She stated that the organisation has been working with the government to provide funding for HIV/AIDS interventions, tuberculosis, family planning, and maternal and child health, all of which will be carried out by the USAID Afya Yangu projects, whose final beneficiaries are Tanzanians, particularly those in the peripheral regions where these projects will be implemented.
The US Ambassador to Tanzania, Dr Donald Wright said the friendship and cooperation between Tanzania and the United States has continued to grow and strengthen day by day.
"With nearly two-thirds of Tanzania's population under the age of 25, we must strengthen local health systems to improve the health outcomes for generations of young Tanzanians that will guide the country towards a more viable and stable future," said Dr Wright.
Earlier, USAID Resident Director Kate Somvongsiri said the programme will be implemented in 21 regions of Mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health, regional and local government authorities, civil society organisations, Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF), Jhpiego, Deloitte and consortium partners.
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"Statistics show that Tanzania has around 1.7 million HIV-positive people who face persistent challenges in reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health, and continue to have cases of Covid-19, which have disproportionately affected high-risk groups like pregnant women and those living with HIV," she said.
Ms Somvongsiri said the project will also improve Tanzanian households' nutrition and health outcomes by making quality health care services more readily accessible by continuing to build the capacity of local stakeholders for long-term, country-led programmes.
