More than 5.2 million women and girls across Tanzania have accessed family planning services through the Scaling Up Family Planning (SuFP) programme over the past nine years, helping to reduce maternal deaths and unintended pregnancies, programme partners have said.
The achievements were highlighted during a learning and review conference held in Dodoma to assess the impact of the programme, which was implemented from 2017 to 2026 with support from the UK Government through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).
Speaking at the event, MSI Tanzania Chief Operations Officer Dr Stephen Mutegeki said the programme had demonstrated the power of collaboration in addressing reproductive health challenges and expanding access to essential services.
He said the success of SuFP showed that significant progress could be achieved when government institutions, development partners, healthcare providers and communities worked towards shared objectives.
Dr Mutegeki noted that MSI Tanzania would continue working closely with the government and other stakeholders to sustain the gains made under the programme and ensure that quality, affordable and equitable reproductive health services remain available to all Tanzanians.
The Deputy Development Director at the British High Commission in Tanzania, Mr Will Guest, said the UK Government remained committed to supporting initiatives aimed at improving reproductive health and advancing the rights and wellbeing of women and girls.
According to programme data presented at the conference, SuFP reached more than 5.2 million women and girls with family planning services during its implementation period.
The intervention is estimated to have helped avert over 6,500 maternal deaths and approximately 8.3 million unintended pregnancies.
The programme partners said these outcomes underscore the role of family planning services in improving maternal health, reducing preventable deaths and supporting broader national development goals.
Speaking on behalf of implementing partners, UNFPA Resident Representative in Tanzania Mr Mark Bryan Schreiner said the programme’s achievements reflected the value of strong partnerships between governments, development agencies, healthcare providers and local communities.
He said the experience gained through SuFP would provide important lessons for future reproductive health programmes aimed at expanding access to services and strengthening health systems.
SuFP was implemented through a partnership involving the Government of Tanzania, MSI Tanzania, UNFPA, EngenderHealth and Pathfinder International, with funding from the UK Government through FCDO.
Stakeholders at the conference called for continued investment in family planning and reproductive health services to build on the progress achieved and ensure that women and girls across the country can continue to access information and services that support their health and wellbeing.
