By Staff Writer, DODOMA

THE government of Korea, through its health flagship
project, the Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) has spent
more than 2.7bn/- to support and improve maternal and child health services in the
two districts of Kongwa and Mpwapwa Districts in Dodoma Region.

Throughout implementation of the helpful project, it
has been unveiled that there has been a significant increase in the number of
mothers who are attending to medical facilities (health centers) to seek for
prenatal services, as well as to deliver babies in the two districts.

KOFIH is a governmental organization affiliated with
the Ministry of Health and Welfare of the Republic of Korea. KOFIH provides
government-level health assistance for partner countries, with the major focus
being to strengthen the capacity of the health workforce, especially in the side
of Maternal, Neonatal and Child Healthcare (MNCH).

Speaking during a special forum tailored for the
evaluation of the implementation of the project for the past two years, the
representative from the KOFIH project, Nice Moshi expressed that apart from procuring
vital medical equipments, the timely initiative was also majoring in conducting
of relevant community sensitization programa towards different groups within the
two districts.

“As part of the implementation of the project in the
two districts, during the two elapsed years (2021-23) we managed to construct theatre
rooms, incinerator, placenta pit and ash pit at different health facilities,
but also, we procured ambulances, infant radiation warmer, screens as well as
delivering beds,” she detailed.

Together with that, she further expressed that the project
was also disseminating the useful education over reproductive health, saying students
from a total of 20 schools (primary and secondary) have so far reached and
trained accordingly.

“The project has also managed to impart at least 300
community leaders and 900 women of reproductive age with positive health
education,” she added.

She also added that the initiative was also working
to sensitize the community over the need to collect blood, informed that from
February to August 2023, a total of 977 blood units were collected, equal to
146 percent  of 666 expected  units.

On his side, speaking on behalf of the Dodoma
Regional Commissioner (RC) during the session, the Regional Administrative
Secretary (RAS) Ally Gugu said implementation of the project propells to positive
improvement in the regional Neonatal and Child Healthcare (MNCH) sector.

He expressed that as per the 2022 Tanzania
Demographic and Health Survey (2022 TDHS) on maternal health, Dodoma region was
performing well in the side.

In the region, Gugu detailed, at least 90.9 percent
of the mothers are delivering at the relevant health facilities, while 76.8
percent of the expectant mothers are attending to different clinics.

“The government is kindly appreciating the robust
support being given by the government of Korea through the KOFIH project in
elevating the Neonatal and Child Healthcare (MNCH) services in Dodoma region,”
he said.

As part of the envisaged implementation of the third phase
of the project in the two districts,  the
initiative is looking forward to conducting a number of things, including to
procure the standby generator for Kibaigwa health Mkoka health centre in Kongwa
district.

Other plans include construction of  pediatrics (Neonatal Units) at Kibaigwa heath
centre, procurement and installation of anaesthesia machines at Kibaigwa and
Mkoka health facilities.

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