Skip to content ↓
Press Room

New Funding Will Save Mothers and Children’s Lives in Tanzania

Note: World Lung Foundation united with The Union North America. From January 2016, the combined organization is known as “Vital Strategies.”

(Dar es Salaam, Tanzania and New York, USA) – World Lung Foundation (WLF) today welcomed an extension of funding for its Maternal Health Initiative in Tanzania. WLF has run the initiative with financial support from Bloomberg Philanthropies since 2006, working closely with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and with Tanzanian partners like the Ifakara Health Institute, to implement a state-of-the-art maternal health program in Tanzania. The aim of the initiative has been to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by improving women’s access to good-quality emergency obstetric care, particularly in rural and isolated areas.

News of the extended funding was announced yesterday, October 2nd, by Bloomberg Philanthropies in New York City, in the presence of President of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Hon. Jakaya M. Kikwete and Ban Ki Moon, Secretary General of the United Nations. In addition, H&B Agerup Foundation joins as a new co-funder of the initiative, which will have received a total commitment of $15.5 million since late 2006. Conservative projections estimate that World Lung Foundation’s work in Tanzania will positively impact at least 50,000 mothers and their children over the next three years.

Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation, commented: “Bloomberg Philanthropies enabled a proof-of-concept initiative to prove itself. By investing in a comprehensive model of medical personnel and infrastructure, they have shown that maternal deaths can be greatly reduced. We also commend the H&B Agerup Foundation for recognizing the value of a strong network of personnel and facilities, which enables us to expand it, and prevent more needless deaths.

Peter Baldini, Chief Executive Officer, World Lung Foundation, commented: “Bloomberg Philanthropies enabled a proof-of-concept initiative to prove itself. By investing in a comprehensive model of medical personnel and infrastructure, they have shown that maternal deaths can be greatly reduced. We also commend the H&B Agerup Foundation for recognizing the value of a strong network of personnel and facilities, which enables us to expand it, and prevent more needless deaths.

Recently published data from WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA and The World Bank estimate that Tanzania, which accounted for 3% of global maternal deaths in 2010, reduced its Maternal Mortality Rate by 47% between 1990 and 2010. We know from our work on the ground that even more needless deaths could and should be prevented through the extension of our initiative to other rural areas. Women should not risk their lives and those of their unborn babies just to reach a hospital. We look forward to working with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to in taking further steps toward safe motherhood and childhood in Tanzania.”

World Lung Foundation pointed to a number of accomplishments, across geographically strategic health centers and hospitals in seven districts in the Kigoma, Morogoro and Pwani regions. Since 2006:

• Nine extremely remote heath centers have been upgraded. Prior to the program, patients had to travel 3-4 hours to the nearest hospital. Now, emergency obstetric care is available in the community.

• More than 100 non-physician clinicians have been trained in comprehensive emergency obstetric care or anesthesia.

• Health center utilization for delivery care has increased substantially, from about 3,500 deliveries per year in all 9 health centers prior to the program to about 9,000 in 2011 after the intervention.

• More than 1,000 c-sections have been performed

• The Ulanga district, one of 7 districts where the program is operating, saw a 32% decline in maternal deaths after the program was implemented.

• Conservative projections show that at least 50,000 women and children will be impacted by our work.