Tanzania leads the fight to end maternal deaths
Maternal health has been prioritised in the country's national development plans.
Tanzania has made great progress in saving the lives of mothers. In just seven years, the country's maternal mortality rate has been
This is not only a national achievement; it is a model for Africa, and a signal to the world that change is possible and long overdue.
At the 78th World Health Assembly, which concluded earlier this week, health officials and world leaders
When the Jiongeze Tuwavushe Salama
Access to Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care (CEmONC) has been expanded by increasing facilities from just 115 to over 566, ensuring that more than 90% of Tanzanians live within five kilometers of a health facility. The referral system has been significantly strengthened through technology-driven initiatives such as the m-mama emergency transportation programme and the Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC).
In recent years, more than 20,000 new health professionals have been employed and health facilities have been equipped with ambulances and digital innovations, including artificial intelligence-supported maternal death reviews and real-time telemedicine solutions. These innovations, from WhatsApp triage groups to Project ECHO's virtual consultations, have already saved hundreds of women's lives.
But the foundation of this success has not been technology alone, it has been political will. Maternal health has been prioritised in every national development plan. Work with
Other African countries are taking note. Earlier this year, Tanzania hosted delegates from 16 nations under the Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention to study the country's approach. Through the Collaborative Advocacy Action Plan
Yet more must be done, and fast. Across sub-Saharan Africa, maternal deaths remain common. Many women still give birth too far from help, without skilled care and without access to basic medicines or transport. These are solvable problems.
As we look toward 2030, I call on fellow leaders to prioritise women's health not as a statistic to improve, but as a moral imperative. Adopt national campaigns that place maternal mortality at the heart of health reform. Invest in infrastructure, workforce and digital solutions that work for people, not just institutions. Share knowledge. Measure outcomes. And above all, treat every maternal death as an unacceptable loss.
Tanzania stands ready to support those ready to act. It can offer technical assistance and the insights gathered. Together, we can ensure that no woman dies while giving life in Africa and anywhere in the world.
Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan is the President of Tanzania.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mail & Guardian
3 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
Motsoaledi's big HIV treatment jump: Is it true?
How close is South Africa to meeting its HIV treatment goals? We look at the numbers. (NIAID/Wikimedia) Numbers are powerful. They can also be dangerous if not used correctly. When the The health department's goal is In his words, the department has reached 'more than 50% of the target' they set out to achieve by the end of the year. If that gap is closed, South Africa would have met two of the three But knowing exactly how much the gap is closing is tricky, because people who know they have HIV may start and stop and then restart treatment again later — sometimes several times — during the course of their care. So, many of the 520 700 previously diagnosed people Motsoaledi says are now on medication could, at least in theory, very well be people who are counted repeatedly as they cycle in and out of treatment. But because the patient information system isn't digitally centralised — most clinics still keep track of their clients on paper, which means different facilities can't easily access one another's records — someone who stops treatment at one clinic can easily be counted as a new start at another, rather than a restart. The set of UN targets aim for 95% of people in a country with HIV to know their diagnosis, 95% of those being on treatment and 95% of those taking medication having such low levels of virus in their bodies that they can't infect someone through sex. 'The reason that we [were] able to reach half a million within a short space of time, was because of weekly check-in meetings with provinces, where reports that come from the ground are verified in the presence of all provincial colleagues before they are regarded as final figures for reporting,' said the minister. But simply counting better isn't the same as doing better, and critics called the reported progress Why? Because for the past few years, the number of people with HIV who have gone on treatment has Moreover, that was while treatment programmes had funding and US-backed money for HIV projects was in place. So now, at a time of We dive into the data to get a sense of what the numbers really mean. Mind the gap In 2021, South Africa was about 1.2-million people short of its 95%-treatment goal; by 2025 the shortfall will likely be 990 000. That means that the gap — that is, the difference between where the country actually is and where it wants to be when it comes to HIV treatment — has closed by about 210 000. So there's been progress, but it's been slow: in total, only about 700 000 more people are on HIV medication today than five years ago. 'Getting that last one million or so people on treatment is not simple,' says Kate Rees, public health specialist at the Sometimes people miss an appointment to get a refill of their medicine because they can't afford to take time off work to go to the clinic or they might have moved to another province or district and so they don't go back to the facility where they first got their prescription, she explains. The longer the interruption lasts, the more hesitant people are to go back, says Rees, because they dread Says Rees: 'The health service expects people to be very rigid with their appointments, but life just is not like that.' Slow progress To get a sense of the progress towards meeting the UN's second target in its 95-95-95 cascade, it's best to look at the difference in the total number of people on HIV treatment from year to year, says Leigh Johnson, one of the lead developers of the Although the number of people on medication is increasing, the number grows less and less each year. For example, in 2020, about 291 000 more people were on treatment than in 2019. By 2021, though, the number had grown only by about 225 000. Current forecasts from the model are that the total number of people on treatment will grow by only about 160 000 this year. But that's based on programmes running like they have up to now — and with recent upsets because of US funding cuts, it may be an unreasonable assumption, Johnson says. Part of the reason for the small net gain every year, is that although many people sign up for medication in a year, many also stop coming back to get their scripts refilled. Of those who drop out of treatment, some might choose to restart within a couple of months again, while others may pause their treatment for more than a year. In 2023, for example, roughly 793 500 people who had been on treatment before weren't any longer, but about 728 000 who received medication were restarters, Thembisa numbers show. So even though some people who stop taking their medication might not restart — or restart quickly — the total number who are on treatment still grows; it's just slow-going. This means getting a handle on how close to — or far from — the 95%-treatment mark South Africa is, is more dynamic than simple addition. Stops, starts and restarts 'There will always be people who interrupt their treatment,' says Rees. 'It's not possible to keep everyone perfectly in the system all the time — that's life.' But what's important, she says, is to make those pauses as short as possible by helping people to get back on medication quickly and easily — without judgment. Gesine Meyer-Rath agrees. She's a health economist at Data in the Thembisa model shows that over the years, the number of people starting medication for the first time — in other words, those who have never been on treatment before — has shrunk, but at the same time counts of restarters have grown. Her group's analyses have shown that honing in on keeping people on HIV treatment is the best way to go — But to plan sensibly, she explains, policymakers should know how many people are first-time starters, how many pause treatment but then restart, and how many stop and don't come back at all. 'The more detail programme planners have in the data, the better,' she says. 'The [government's] This is exactly where things can become tricky in future if the holes left by the US funding cuts aren't plugged. Because of the US's aid withdrawal, about 40% of South Africa's HIV data capturers will likely have lost their jobs by September, Says Meyer-Rath: 'The less data we have, the more we're flying blind, which leaves space for bickering over the data that is still there.' This story was produced by the . Sign up for the .
Mail & Guardian
4 days ago
- Mail & Guardian
Fake medicines: South Africa's silent epidemic
The sale of fake medicine goes beyond sugar pills; it includes antibiotics and cancer drugs. In the midst of South Africa's ongoing healthcare problems — rising drug prices, medicine shortages and a strained public health system — there is a quieter, more insidious crisis unfolding: the proliferation of counterfeit and substandard medicines. These fake drugs are not just a nuisance; they are a public health emergency. They kill, they disable and they erode trust in our healthcare system. Despite the growing threat, our national response remains dangerously inadequate. The World Health Organisation estimates that up to 10% of medical products in low- and middle-income countries are either substandard or falsified. In Africa, that figure might be even higher. These are not just harmless sugar pills. They are antibiotics with no active ingredients, cancer drugs diluted to ineffectiveness and painkillers laced with toxic substances. In South Africa, where millions rely on both public and private healthcare systems, the consequences of counterfeit medicines are devastating — especially for the most vulnerable. The problem is compounded by our country's heavy reliance on imported pharmaceuticals. Most active pharmaceutical ingredients come from India and China. While many of these imports are legitimate, the lack of robust border controls and regulatory oversight creates fertile ground for counterfeiters. Once these fake medicines enter the supply chain — whether through informal markets, unregulated online pharmacies or even poorly monitored wholesalers — they are nearly impossible to trace. The South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) has made commendable progress in recent years, particularly in clearing the backlog of medicine registrations and improving regulatory transparency. But SAHPRA cannot fight this battle alone. The trafficking of counterfeit medicines is a multibillion-rand criminal enterprise, often linked to organised crime and transnational networks. It requires a coordinated, multi-agency response — one that includes customs, law enforcement, the department of health and international partners. Yet there is no dedicated anti-counterfeit medicine policy. There is no national task force. And there is no real-time tracking system to monitor the movement of pharmaceuticals from port to patient. In the absence of these safeguards, fake medicines slip through the cracks — into our hospitals, our pharmacies and our homes. The consequences are not theoretical. In 2022, SAHPRA issued multiple alerts about falsified antibiotics and antiretrovirals circulating in the country. In some cases, these drugs contained no active ingredients at all. In others, they were contaminated with harmful substances. Patients who rely on these medications — often for life-threatening conditions like HIV, tuberculosis or cancer — are left vulnerable to treatment failure, drug resistance and even death. Moreover, the economic impact is staggering. Counterfeit medicines undermine legitimate pharmaceutical companies, discourage investment in local manufacturing and place additional strain on an already overburdened healthcare system. They also contribute to the erosion of public trust. When patients cannot be sure that the medicine they receive is genuine, the entire healthcare system suffers. So what can be done? First, the government must tighten border controls and invest in forensic testing at ports of entry. Customs officials need the tools and training to detect counterfeit medicines before they enter the country. This includes portable testing devices, laboratory support and access to international databases of known counterfeit products. Second, South Africa must implement a national track-and-trace system for pharmaceuticals. Using barcodes, QR codes or blockchain technology, every medicine sold in the country should be traceable from manufacturer to end user. This would not only deter counterfeiters but also allow for rapid recalls in the event of contamination or fraud. Third, we need a public awareness campaign to educate consumers about the dangers of buying medicines from unregulated sources. Many South Africans, particularly in rural or underserved areas, turn to informal markets or online sellers out of desperation or convenience. They must be empowered with the knowledge to make safer choices — and given access to affordable, legitimate alternatives. Fourth, SAHPRA must be empowered with greater enforcement authority and resources. This includes the ability to conduct surprise inspections, seize counterfeit products and prosecute offenders. It also means expanding SAHPRA's capacity to monitor the post-market safety of medicines and collaborate with international regulatory bodies. Finally, we must address the root causes that make counterfeit medicines so appealing in the first place: high drug prices, medicine shortages and weak supply chains. Policies like the single exit price system have helped standardise medicine pricing, but they have also led to unintended consequences, such as product withdrawals and reduced availability of certain drugs. A more flexible, responsive pricing system is needed — one that balances affordability with sustainability and ensures a stable supply of essential medicines. We must also invest in local pharmaceutical manufacturing. South Africa has the scientific expertise, industrial capacity and regulatory framework to produce high-quality medicines domestically. What we lack is the political will and financial investment to scale up production and reduce our dependence on imports. By supporting local manufacturers, we can create jobs, strengthen our supply chains and reduce the risk of counterfeit infiltration. The fight against fake medicines is not just a regulatory issue, it is a moral imperative. Every South African has the right to safe, effective and affordable healthcare. That right is meaningless if the medicines we rely on are compromised by greed, negligence or criminal intent. We cannot afford to wait for a tragedy to spark action. The cost of inaction is measured not just in rand, but in lives lost to preventable harm. South Africa must take a stand against counterfeit medicines — before the silent epidemic becomes a national catastrophe. Fentse Maseko works for the pharmacy and pharmacology department at the University of Witwatersrand and is a PhD applicant.
The Herald
4 days ago
- The Herald
Groundbreaking study finds new genes in black women causing breast cancer
All participants were from the Soweto region, with 2,485 population cases and 1,101 control cases. The South African BC cases and controls were well-matched and clustered, while the non-South African samples and West African populations were distinct from South African populations. The Genome-Wide Association study (Gwas), which is the first to focus on black women on the continent, was published in the journal Nature Communications . It brings to the fore the importance of deepening knowledge about the genetic basis of the disease. In the past, most breast cancer genetics research has focused on European and Asian populations, with studies of African ancestry limited primarily to African-American women, who largely descend from West African populations. A tool that estimates lifetime cancer risk based on DNA, the polygenic risk score (PRS), performed poorly in distinguishing South African women with breast cancer from those without. Dr Jean-Tristan Brandenburg, also in the SBIMB and a lead author, said this was a result of the mechanism not being tailored for the black population. 'This is because most PRSs were developed in European populations, and their inaccuracy in African populations highlights the urgent need for ancestry-specific tools in cancer risk prediction,' Brandenburg said. African populations have more genetic variation than any other population in the world, but they have been significantly underrepresented in genomic research. This means the global understanding of disease risk and the tools and treatment developed from it are limited. 'The study reveals that more people can benefit from genetic discoveries. It proves that new risk factors are still out there, waiting to be found,' says Hayat. TimesLIVE
