Tanzania can achieve Universal health coverage by 2030, says Norwegian minister

Anna Beathe

Dar es Salaam. Norway has predicted that Tanzania will achieve Universal health coverage on Sexual Reproductive Health and Right (SRHR), reduce maternal mortality death, child marriage and unsafe abortion by 2030 due to integration intervention.

This was said by the Norwegian minister for international development Anne Beathe at roundtable discussion on universal access to SRHR , saying that the country has shown commitment to eliminate child marriage to bring back teen mothers to school.

“Earlier today I met with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, and one of the many things we discussed was the issue related to SRHR universal health coverage and that is why Norway sees Tanzania on the right track,” she said.

She stressed that Norway through United Nations Population Funds (UNFPA) will continue supporting the country to implementations of issues related to SRHR.

Ministry of health, director of reproductive and child health services Dr. Ahmad Makuwani said that the government recognises the contribution of various stakeholders to achieve maternal and neonatal death.

According to him, Tanzania’s progress on SRHR and commitments made at the 2019 International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD2), including preventing maternal deaths through a comprehensive package of sexual and reproductive health services has a shown great achievement.

“The comprehensive package has been a game changer, data shows that 44,000 newborn were lost each year due to lack of services but with the safe comprehensive package a high number of babies have been served,” he said.