President Samia’s maternal health drive praised at UN

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The fight against high infant mortality rates and maternal deaths has been a long struggle across much of the developing world. On average, a child born in a country in sub-Saharan Africa is 14 times more likely to die before their fifth birthday than one born in Europe or North America, while a mother’s lifetime risk of dying in pregnancy or childbirth is around 250 times higher than one in Western Europe. 

Tanzania was singled out at the 81st United Nations General Assembly in New York this year as a role model for the rest of Africa. The recognition was due to the progress which the country has made over the past decade in lowering maternal and child mortality rates. 

An Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention evidence review published in September 2026, commissioned by President Samia Suluhu Hassan in her role as African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health, highlighted that Tanzania’s maternal mortality ratio fell from 556 deaths per 100,000 births in 2016 to 104 in 2022, marking a significant 80% fall. 

The Tanzanian government’s policy ambitions suggest that the trend has continued. In August the government announced that it was targeting fewer than 70 maternal deaths for every 100,000 live births by 2030.

President Samia had been due to host talks in New York on African maternal and child healthcare during UN General Assembly week but was unable to attend. Recently appointed Vice President Deogratius Ndejembi represented the President in her absence, delivering her speech and leading the maternal health meetings that she had convened.

Ndejembi told delegates that the share of Tanzanian women giving birth in health facilities had risen from 51% in 2015 to 81% in 2022. The government has continued to increase investment since. The health budget grew from TSh1.1 trillion in 2022 to TSh1.8 trillion this year, while 3,530 health facilities have been added since 2021/22 and more than 53,000 health workers have been recruited. “Our experience shows us that this is an agenda that Africa can achieve,” the President’s speech said, noting that it would take sustained political leadership and adequate financing.

When investment is practical and people-centred, Vice President Ndejembi said, “development can move from promises to measurable results”.

Children are also benefiting in Tanzania. Under-five deaths fell from 67 to 43 per 1,000 live births between 2015 and 2022. The m-Mama emergency referral system had handled more than 150,000 cases involving pregnant women and newborns by August 2026. 

The President’s leadership drew praise from other African leaders. Namibian President Netumbo Nandi-Ndaitwah lauded her dedication to the health and dignity of women and children. UNFPA Executive Director Diene Keita and WHO Regional Director for Africa Professor Mohamed Janabi also commended her role in raising the issue on Africa’s political agenda. 

President Samia is also encouraging the continent to adopt her “Three Zeros” agenda: zero home deliveries, zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths and zero unvaccinated children. These targets are central to President Samia’s African Union roadmap for 2026 to 2030 and were announced to African leaders and funders, including the Gates Foundation and UNICEF in New York. Jean Kaseya, Africa CDC director general, called the goals “ambitious, but achievable if we act together”. 

The scale of the fight remains considerable. Africa accounts for 69% of the world’s maternal deaths. Africa CDC warns that at the current rate the continent’s ratio will be around 330 per 100,000 in 2030, nearly five times the global target of 70. Under President Samia’s stewardship, however, Tanzania’s success in reducing maternal and child deaths may yet reverberate across the continent.