Dar es Salaam — The Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Florence Simizi, has said the government has begun constructing 35 new neonatal wards, of which 15 will be in regional hospitals and 20 in council hospitals.
Speaking when the Parliamentary Standing Committee visited Amana Referral Hospital in Dar es Salaam, Dr Samizi said the construction of the wards will be completed within six months.
She also said President Samia Suluhu Hassan has invested heavily in neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) where in 2021 they had only 14 NICU wards in the country, but following the instructions of the World Health Organization (WHO) that every hospital should have a neonatal ward, the government has made significant investments.
"Today we have 362 neonatal care wards in the country, and the goal is to reach more than 500 wards to ensure that every hospital that provides maternity services can also serve premature babies.
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She added, "Studies show that when these babies are close to their mothers through the 'Zero Separation' system, deaths are significantly reduced. If a baby is separated from its mother, deaths can reach 11 percent, but if the baby remains close to its mother, deaths drop to 3 percent.
Dr Samizi said Amana Hospital has started using the Zero Separation system, where the mother and baby stay together. They have also added another innovation of Kangaroo Father Care, where the father also participates in raising the baby by holding it close to his chest.
"Furthermore, the hospital has introduced a Surrogate Baby Care system, where if the mother is absent or has died, another mother can help the baby by providing warmth and care to help it survive.
She said these measures have contributed to reducing infant mortality in the country from about 5 percent to 4 percent, and efforts are ongoing to achieve the United Nations' international goals through the Sustainable Development Goals, which seek to reduce infant mortality to 12 children per 1000 live births.
"Due to these achievements, President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan has been selected as Africa's leader in reducing maternal and child mortality this year. In addition, last year she received an award presented by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation for her efforts in the health sector.
She said that Amana Hospital has not had a maternal death during childbirth for six consecutive months, and that is something to be very proud of.
