Kilimanjaro — EFFORTS aimed at ending deaths of pregnant women, those who have delivered, and child mortalities in the Kilimanjaro region, recently got fresh impetus after the maternal and newborn emergency transport system coordinated by the m-mama organization was launched in the area.

m-mama is a cost-effective emergency transport system aimed at significantly reducing maternal mortality in areas with limited or inefficient ambulance services.

Speaking during the launch in Moshi recently, the m-mama Country Director, Dolorosa Duncan said it was part of the countrywide service as advised by President Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, earlier this year.

"When launching the program in April, Dr. Samia proposed that it is spread as a national agenda... may I take this opportunity to inform you that the program will go live nationwide by September 2023", she said.

Commenting on the launch, Ms. Duncan said the launch was meant to help in reducing maternal mortality in the Kilimanjaro region, alongside other initiatives by the government within the region.

"The Government has been working with the Vodacom Tanzania Foundation to roll out m-mama, the maternal and newborn emergency transport system, which utilizes government ambulances and private cars in the absence of ambulances in emergencies for pregnant women and newborns", she said, adding, the system has been proved to contribute in the reduction of maternal mortality by 27 percent in rural areas nationwide."

She added, "The reduction of maternal and neonatal mortality is a health priority outlined in Tanzanian Government's plans... by launching this program here in Kilimanjaro region, it is part of the valuable initiatives as far as the health sector in the country is concerned.

She said the initiative was an innovative collaboration between the private and public sectors to save maternal and newborn lives in Tanzania since 2013, where she said m-mama uses mobile technology to connect women in Tanzania to emergency transport.

"Through m-mama, we use mobile technology to connect pregnant women with healthcare facilities, when they need it the most; the connection works to reduce rates of maternal mortality, identified as the number one health challenge by the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals", she added.

Tanzania’s commitment to the African Women Leaders Network retreat

Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has said her Government will continue to throw weight behind women's participation in order to extend the group’s network in various sectors.

Tanzania’s first female Head of State told participants of African Women Leaders Network (AWLN)’s 4th intergenerational retreat for economic empowerment, sustainability, and financial inclusion held in #Zanzibar on Saturday that the aim of boosting women's participation is to attain Sustainable Development Goals 2030.

Others, according to the Head of State, are Agenda 2063: The Africa We Want as well as Tanzania’s National Development Vision of 2025.

She said despite challenges facing women, Tanzania is keen to ensure the group is not left behind, especially in various decision-making bodies.

President said currently the number of female MPs in the Parliament of the United Republic of Tanzania has increased significantly from 21.5 percent in 2005 to 37 percent while nine others have been included in the cabinet.

The Young Women Leaders’ Caucus (YWC) of the African Women Leaders Network (AWLN) in collaboration with the African Union Youth Envoy’s Office, the Women, Gender and Youth Directorate, with the support of the AU Office of the Special Envoy on Women, Peace and Security and UN Women, has organized the Fourth African Women Leaders’ Network Intergenerational Retreat (IGR) themed, “African Young Women Lead-Mobilizing Partnerships and pathways for Economic Empowerment, Sustainability, and Financial Inclusion.”

The Intergenerational Retreat is hosted so far each year, as one of AWLN principles, by a Head of State.

This year, the retreat has been hosted by Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan.

President Samia is being regarded as an AWLN pioneer and Champion of Women in Trade under the AfCFTA.

Elders got an opportunity to share their expertise with the Young Women Leaders and entrepreneurs, highlighting and underscoring their roles in the transformative process of moving women and girls from limited power, voice, and choice at home and in the economy to have the skills, resources, and opportunities needed to compete equitably in markets as well as the agency to control and benefit from economic dividends.

 The main objective of the fourth IGR is to serve as a stepping-stone and opportunity to build and strengthen synergy and advance the young women’s initiatives under the Economic Empowerment Pillar of AWLN.

“It will be an opportunity to engage with the Champion of the AfCFTA, H.E. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, and AWLN Elder to propose youth-led initiatives and galvanize support towards implementing the mission of the champion,” states African Women Leaders Network’s website.

Speaking during the occasion, the Kilimanjaro Regional Commissioner (RC) Mr. Nurdin Babu, commended m-mama for introducing the services in the region, saying it would address the challenge of maternal and infant mortality within the region.

"The mortality rate reduction has been satisfactory in Kilimanjaro region; the number of deaths was 51 in 2020, 66 in 2021 and as we launch this program today, this so far there have been reported 38 maternal mortalities in the region; this program will be very fruitful as far as efforts to the maternal mortality in Kilimanjaro region is concerned", he added.

Mr. Babu further said the launch was vital in the region due to the real fact that there were only 30 ambulances in the region, where 13 of them are owned and run by government health facilities and the remaining 17 by private health institutions.