TANZANIA’S remarkable progress in maternal and child health has pushed the Gates Foundation to award President Samia Suluhu Hassan its Goalkeepers Award, the 7th president to receive the prestigious award and the first African leader to be honoured.

The foundation acknowledged the president’s tireless efforts to reduce maternal and child mortality rates by 80 percent, improve healthcare access and foster gender equality in the healthcare sector.

At the awarding ceremony in Dar es Salaam yesterday, the president underlined the country’s significant progress in improving healthcare and nutrition, underscoring the importance of keeping up with investment in systems that uphold the dignity of every individual.

Dedicating the award to health workers, she acknowledged their tireless compassion and commitment, reiterating the focus for improving reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adult health.

She pointed at the increasing number of registered medical specialists in maternal and newborn care, from 69 in 2020 to 338 in 2024, alongside expanding free maternal and under-five health services, becoming more accessible to rural communities.

Placing 727 ambulances over the past nine years strengthened referral systems, ensuring timely interventions and emergency care, particularly for life-threatening obstetric conditions, she stated.

Ongoing efforts to address adolescent health, particularly the focus on preventing teenage pregnancies were significant, she said, pointing at the country’s national action plan for adolescent health and well-being.

It is pegged to tackling cultural and traditional barriers, ensuring a healthier future for the nation's youth, she said, while Anita Zaidi, president of gender equality at Gates Foundation, said Tanzania has made tremendous progress in maternal and child health over the past decade.

Through strengthened healthcare systems, improved access to maternal services and a focus on quality care, more mothers survive childbirth and more children grow up with an opportunity to thrive, she stated.

She pointed at Tanzania’s commitment to the Sustainable Development Goals which it signed in 2015, positioning it as a model for Africa and beyond, she stated.

The president had emphasized that Tanzania’s advancements in maternal and child health, including the reduction of maternal mortality and the decline in under-five mortality from 67 to 43 per 1,000 births, are the result of collective efforts.

These achievements were made possible through partnerships with organizations like the Gates Foundation, civil society groups such as the Jakaya Kikwete Foundation, and the tireless work of healthcare professionals across the country, she stressed, underlining that the journey is far from over.

The government’s partnership with the private sector to fortify staple foods with essential nutrients is helping to improve maternal health and ensure that women have the nutrition they need during pregnancy, she asserted.

Jenista Mhagama, the Health minister, said the award is testimony to the president’s exceptional leadership and unwavering commitment to improving healthcare.

It highlights the country’s significant progress in advancing healthcare outcomes and sustainable development, she said, alluding to the president’s transformative impact on the healthcare sector.

This has been instrumental in reducing maternal and child mortality, improving health services and driving health policy reforms, further noted.