The Minister of Health, Jenista Mhagama, met with the Director-General of the World Bank's Africa Region, Mr. Daniel Dulitzky, who was accompanied by his delegation, including Mr. Nathan Belete, the World Bank Director for Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi.
During the meeting held today, April 10, 2025, at the Ministry of Health offices in Dodoma, Minister Mhagama expressed her gratitude to the World Bank for its continuous collaboration with the Government in advancing various health sector development projects, including the Tanzania Maternal and Child Health Investment Program (TMCHIP), valued at USD 283.5 million.
"The partnership between Tanzania and the World Bank has been immensely valuable in advancing the health sector. We appreciate the World Bank for providing financial support, which has been crucial in improving health services and promoting the well-being of our communities," said Minister Mhagama.
She emphasized the government's commitment to further strengthening this partnership and highlighted key priorities, such as the continued implementation of Universal Health Insurance, the Community Health Worker Program, and enhanced preparedness for emergencies and disasters.
"We are dedicated to training over 137,294 community health workers and equipping them with the necessary tools to ensure effective service delivery. Your support as our development partners is therefore vital to the success of these initiatives," she added.
Earlier, on behalf of the Minister of State for the President's Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (OR-TAMISEMI), Dr. Festo Dugange, the Deputy Minister of OR-TAMISEMI, shared that over the past two years, in 2023 and 2024, the TMCHIP program has successfully recruited 1,000 health workers who are now serving in primary health care facilities, while also improving emergency and referral systems across 26 regions.
In response, Mr. Dulitzky praised Tanzania’s significant progress in the health sector, emphasizing the country's ongoing efforts to improve healthcare services for its citizens.
He reaffirmed the World Bank's continued commitment to supporting Tanzania’s development agenda.
“We commend Tanzania for its impressive reduction in maternal mortality by over 80%, from 530 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2015/2016 to 104 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2022. This is a remarkable achievement and a clear indicator of the effectiveness of your health interventions," Mr. Dulitzky said.
