UNICEF To Support Tanzania’s Efforts To Protect Children Against Effects Of Climate Change -

UNICEF Executive Director, Ms Catherine Russel

By Senior Reporter VALENTINE OFORO

“We want Tanzania, and the globe as a whole to understand that children are more subjected to climate change, their small bodies are unfriendly to high heat while air pollution is affecting their lungs system,” Ms Russel noted.

WITH effects of climate change reported to continue rendering severe challenge to children across the globe, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has expressed high commitment to support Tanzania’s interventions towards protecting children in the country against the worldwide climatic.

The support, according to UNICEF Executive Director, Ms Catherine Russel, will go in tandem with a series of viable actions to help the government of Tanzania to strengthen systems for addressing key challenges affecting the welfare of children, youth and adolescent girls across the country.

These, she noted, include stunting, early pregnancy and early marriages, poor access to better education, as well as the much- needed immunisations.

Ms Russel, who was in the country for three-day working tour expressed that children are more vulnerable to climate change effects, more than other groups within communities, thus calls for acceleration of more investments and interventions.

“We want Tanzania, and the globe as a whole to understand that children are more subjected to climate change, their small bodies are unfriendly to high heat while air pollution is affecting their lungs system,” Ms Russel noted.

She said the role of UNICEF is to sensitize to ensure governments are sourcing and setting enough funds to spearhead war against effects of climate change, saying the relevant interventions must be responsive and inclusive for children.

Being her maiden visit to Tanzania, the UNICEF chief expressed to have been impressed with the way Tanzania is working collaboratively with UNICEF to improve welfare of children, youth and adolescent girls.

“UNICEF has been working for a number of years in Tanzania, and for me, the government of Tanzania is the best working partner to us,” she appreciated.

Briefing over her meeting with President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, held on earlier Tuesday, Russel said the two have discussed a number of positive issues pertaining to a zeal to attain improved services to children in the country.

“Meeting with President Samia was a special privilege to me, she has proved to be very committed to push for improved welfare of children and young girls in her country, especially to ensure children and adolescents girls gets equal opportunity to better education and healthcare services,” she said.

She hailed President Samia for putting in place helpful policies to enable girls to re- attend lessons after giving birth, saying the move aligns with the UNICEF’s core mission in ensuring young girls are getting equal opportunity to attend school for their bright future.

Tanzania, she said, has so far managed to make impressive progress to digitilize and improve health service delivery towards children, which most now offered under the same roofs, but also, the country is excelling in the sector of imparting the young girls with vital innovation skills.

Pertaining to child healthcare sector, apart from saying the country is performing well, she said UNICEF will continue working in sync with the government to improve availability of decent nutrition services to ensure children are born with better health while mothers empowered to manage good health care of their children, especially within the first 100 days.

And she added: “During our conversation, President Samia raised a special plea for UNICEF to implement more programmes meant to improve nutrition towards children, and she said necessary efforts must be dedicated to negate early marriages and pregnancies,”

In her one- day visit stay in Dodoma Capital City, apart from meeting with President Samia Suluhu Hassan, Russel got opportunity to discuss several matters pertaining to the welfare of children and adolescents with some ministers, including the minister of education and that of health, among others.

During her three- day visit to Tanzania, Russel travelled to Songwe Region to witness first -hand the impact of the government’s and UNICEF’s joint efforts to improve community – based services for children and youth.

The services, among others include birth registration, vaccination, nutrition and healthcare, safe water and sanitation, as well as child protection.

Heath reports shows that fifty – eight out of every 100 adolescents in Tanzania suffers from stunting and anaemia due to a lack of nutritious food.

To curtail the situation, the government has been taken viable measures, including setting up guidelines, policies, and laws to address the challenge.

UNICEF in Tanzania works with the government and partners to put in place policies and investments that support children and adolescents, especially girls, to access education, community-based health and nutrition services and reduce child marriage and early pregnancies.