Samia warns Africa’s maternal mortality progress remains too slow
Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan and other officials have called for urgent legislative action to address slow progress in reducing maternal mortality across Africa. Experts emphasized that political commitment must be backed by adequate financing and better oversight of health services.
Why it matters
Maternal health remains a critical public health challenge in Africa, requiring coordinated policy efforts and resource allocation.
Legislators in various African parliaments have been urged to go beyond political commitments and take concrete action to reduce preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths across the continent.
At the sidelines of the ongoing 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, health experts and development partners, speaking at a high-level parliamentary meeting on women’s, children’s and adolescent health, stressed the need for stronger legislation, adequate financing and effective oversight of health services.
The assembly is being held from October 5 to 9 at the Arusha International Conference Centre.
The Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, Mussa Hassan Zungu, said legislators have a critical role to play in ensuring that political commitments translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
“Parliament has vital responsibilities to support legislation, secure adequate and predictable financing, and oversee implementation,” Zungu said.
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