The government has assured Tanzanians that family planning and reproductive health services will continue uninterrupted despite the conclusion of the nine-year Scaling Up Family Planning Programme, emphasizing that the initiative's achievements have been fully integrated into the country's health system.
Speaking at the programme's closing ceremony during a Learning Symposium in Dodoma on Thursday, Chief Medical Officer Dr Grace Magembe said the government had prepared for the transition over the past nine years and was committed to sustaining all key interventions.
“The completion of this project does not mean the services have ended. The government has taken ownership of the programme and will continue providing family planning and reproductive health services through the existing health system,” she said.
The programme was implemented through a partnership involving the Ministry of Health, the President’s Office–Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), development partners, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), civil society organisations and the Government of the United Kingdom.
Dr Magembe said the initiative played a critical role in improving reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services for women, men and young people across the country.
Among its major achievements was strengthening the availability of family planning and reproductive health commodities, enabling individuals to access a wider range of contraceptive methods and reproductive health services according to their needs and preferences.
The programme also invested in training healthcare workers, equipping them with the knowledge and skills required to deliver quality reproductive health services to people of all age groups.
According to Dr Magembe, the initiative significantly improved the management of reproductive health commodities by strengthening the country's health supply chain systems.
She noted that support provided to the Medical Stores Department enhanced its capacity to forecast demand, procure supplies, distribute commodities and monitor stock levels more effectively.
“In the past, much of the monitoring process was paper-based. Through this project, electronic systems were introduced, enabling better forecasting, procurement, distribution and tracking of reproductive health and child health commodities,” she said.
The programme further worked closely with the Ministry of Education to address reproductive health challenges facing adolescents, including teenage pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections, unsafe abortions and HIV.
Teachers were trained to provide reproductive health education through school clubs and other learning platforms, helping young people make informed decisions and protect themselves from health risks.
“We believe that informed and empowered young people are better positioned to avoid unintended pregnancies, sexually transmitted infections and other reproductive health challenges while remaining focused on their education,” Dr Magembe said.
The project also contributed to strengthening training curricula in health institutions, particularly for nurses, ensuring that graduates enter the workforce with practical skills and knowledge in reproductive health service delivery.
Dr Magembe underscored that access to healthcare remains a fundamental right and said the programme had paid special attention to reaching vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities.
It also supported interventions aimed at addressing gender-based violence in different communities, including mining areas where women and girls often face heightened risks.
As the programme comes to an end, the government has assumed full responsibility for maintaining its gains, she said.
“The interventions have now been incorporated into government plans and budgets. Resources have been allocated for the procurement of family planning commodities, reproductive and child health supplies, as well as continued training for healthcare workers,” she said.
She added that integrating the services into routine healthcare delivery would help guarantee sustainability and ensure that the progress achieved over the past nine years continues to improve reproductive, maternal and child health outcomes across the country.
The government's commitment, she noted, reflects its broader goal of ensuring universal access to quality healthcare services and safeguarding the health and well-being of Tanzanians for generations to come.
