Tanzania is targeting a further sharp reduction in maternal and child deaths, with the government aiming to bring maternal mortality below 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030/31.
The new target forms part of the government’s 2026/27–2030/31 Strategic Plan and will be implemented through the fourth five-year Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health (RMNCAH) action plan, known as ONE PLAN IV.
The government says the next phase will focus on accelerating interventions that have already helped reduce deaths while addressing gaps that continue to affect mothers, newborns and children, particularly during pregnancy, childbirth and the early years of life.
Assistant Director for Child and Adolescent Health in the Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Department, Dr Felix Bundala, announced the targets on September 12, 2026, during a working session to prepare ONE PLAN IV in Morogoro.
“We have made significant progress, but these achievements cannot be the end of the journey. We must accelerate implementation of interventions to achieve the targets we have set and ensure that deaths decline further,” he said.
According to Dr Bundala, Tanzania has made significant progress in reducing maternal mortality, from 556 deaths per 100,000 live births to 104 deaths per 100,000 live births in 2021/22.
Despite the improvement, he said the current rate remains too high compared with the government’s long-term ambitions.
“Although the rate has declined significantly, we still need to do more because 104 is above our expectation. That is why we have set a target of bringing it below 70 by 2030/31,” he said.
The government is also targeting a 50 percent reduction in neonatal deaths, from 24 to 12 deaths per 1,000 live births, over the same period.
Deaths among children under five are expected to decline from 43 to 25 per 1,000 live births.
Dr Bundala said achieving the targets would require more than setting new goals, stressing the need to assess the implementation of the previous plan and identify interventions that delivered the greatest results.
The review will examine achievements, challenges and remaining gaps to guide the selection of high-impact interventions for the next five years.
“This process requires a thorough assessment of what has been implemented, what has worked, the challenges encountered and the gaps that remain,” he said.
He also called for stronger involvement of health professionals, professional associations, government institutions and other stakeholders in preparing and implementing the plan.
Dr Bundala said such collaboration would help create a common framework for coordinating efforts and ensuring that resources are directed towards interventions with the greatest potential to save the lives of mothers and children.
The targets come as Tanzania seeks to sustain the gains made in maternal and child health while closing remaining gaps and moving closer to the country’s 2030/31 health objectives.