THE Korea Foundation for International Healthcare (KOFIH) has spent a total of $1,994,203, equivalent to over 2.7bn/-, to implement a special project for the improvement of maternal and child health services in the two districts of Kongwa and Mpwapwa in Dodoma, for at least three consecutive years.
The five-year project which christened ‘Capacity Strengthening Project On Essential Emergency Obsteric And Newborn Care (EmONC) in Dodoma Region, commenced since 2021 and has been shelved to phase out next year, expecting to gobble up to $4.2million upon completion.
KOFIH country representative, Gyeongbae Seo expressed that the amount, 2.7bn/- was spent by the project in the past three years to facelift and install necessary maternal and child health services within a total of 12 health centers within the beneficiary districts.
These, according to him included construction of theatre rooms, procuring ambulances, establishing incinerators, placenta pits, infant radiation warmers, bed pans, delivering beds as well as the procurement of vital medical equipment, among others.
He was speaking during a two-day forum tailored to retreat over implementation of the project for the past three years (2021-2023), as well as deliberate and setting needed budget and plans for the execution of the project for the coming two remaining years.
And he added, the medical projects carried out for three consecutive years from 2021 to 2023 targeted at curbing maternal and child mortality as well as improving health facilities in the Maternal, Neonatal and Child Healthcare (MNCH).
“Through the project we have also managed to empower over 300 local community leaders as well as 900 women with reproductive health education,” Seo explained, added that the same reproductive health training was provided to several primary and secondary school students from the two districts in Dodoma region.
Standing on behalf of Dodoma Regional Commissioner (RC), Rosemary Senyamule, Kongwa District Commissioner (DC) Mayeka Simon Mayeka who graced the forum, said implementation of the project has resulted in noticeable improvement in the Neonatal and Child Healthcare (MNCH) sector in the precinct.
Amid other achievement, he observed that at least now over 91 percent of expectant mothers are attending formal medical services and delivering babies in official health facilities, added that nearly 77 percent of expectant mothers are also accessing clinical services.
Speaking for her part during the forum, Fidea Obimbo, the Programme Officer, Safe Motherhood Initiative Directorate of Reproductive Maternal and Child Health in the Ministry of Health said implementation of the project was reflecting ongoing efforts by the government to improve maternal and child health services delivery and quality across the country.
Experience proves that delivering at home for one reason or another has always been the problem facing many expectant mothers in rural parts of the country.
Korea Foundation for International Healthcare is assisting a number of African countries, including Tanzania and was established since 2006 as a public agency affiliated with the Ministry of Health who was the 6th Director General of the World Health Organization.
About The Author
