New bank initiative set to raise healthcare standards in Zanzibar

Dar es Salaam. NBC Bank has sponsored healthcare centres in the Isles villages with ‘Uzazi ni Maisha’ translated as ‘Motherhood is Life,” a wogging campaign for safe reproduction.

The move will see about 41 percent of the centres in Zanzibar providing mother and child care with access to medical equipment.

Zanzibar President Hussein Ali Mwinyi admitted yesterday that mother and child services in the Isles’ health centres were grappling with a number of challenges that led to increased maternal mortality rate.

The challenges according to him, were lack of medical equipment, medicine and shortage of health workers.

He acknowledged NBC Bank support saying the initiative will motivate public institutions, companies and the private sector, individuals as well as other stakeholders to contribute and provide medical equipment and medicine for safe childbirth in the Isles.

“I have been informed, through this Uzazi ni Maisha campaign, that a total of 28 health centres will get medical equipment,” Dr Mwinyi said in a statement availed to The citizen.

He said such a number of centres was equal to 40.5 percent of all centres that provide mother and child care in the villages in Zanzibar.

The number of deaths resulting from reproductive health problems that directly affect mothers and infants is still high in Zanzibar, with 267 maternal deaths out of 100,000 live births annually , with an average of 28 infant deaths per 1,000 live births.

This is according to the Health Management Information System 2017 figures.

Speaking during the launch of the campaign, NBC Bank Chief Executive Officer Mr Theobald Sabi expressed the bank’s commitment to improving the health of mothers and children.

NBC Bank also supports the national agenda to improve the health of mothers and children through the support of mobile medical clinic vans that had already been handed over to the government.

“Through these clinics, which were established in 2020, we have managed to reach a total of three million beneficiaries where all services are provided free of charge,” stressed Mr Sabi.

“The new cars of these clinics that we provided here in Zanzibar in 2021 has managed to serve more than one and a half million mothers and children and thus greatly help to reduce maternal deaths during childbirth (maternal deaths).”

The Motherhood is Life Wogging campaign, whose inauguration at the Sheikh Amri Abeid Memorial Stadium was attended by more than 4,000 participants, including high-level corporate officers, diplomats, development partners, government officials and individuals, was prepared by Amref in collaboration with NBC Bank and the Zanzibar’s Health ministry.

Resident Director of Amref Health Africa Tanzania, Dr Florence Temu, said: “Our emphasis is on supporting access to essential medical equipment for safe childbirth, which is fundamental in saving the lives of mothers and children.”

“Amref hopes to raise funds for the next three consecutive years (2022 - 2024) to help strengthen this area of maternal and child health,” said Dr Temu.

Adding: “In this year, we are targeting to garner more than Sh1 billion to ensure that the Zanzibaris are provided with medical equipment and medicines.”