Our Goal:
Over the last 15 years, the world has made considerable progress on reducing the mortality of children under the age of five. In sub-Saharan Africa, many countries are on track to meet the international community’s child health goals. The Jaffer Foundation has supported maternal, neonatal, and child health (MNCH) programs for several decades, and these efforts have had a considerable impact on the lives of children throughout the region.
Our Challenge:
Tanzania is a low-income country with a population of more than 49 million. Over 70 percent of the country is rural.In recent years, Tanzania has realized significant gains in child health and has already met its millennium development goal (MDG) target of reducing the mortality of children under the age of five by two-thirds since 1990. However, newborn account for 40 percent of deaths among children under the age of five.
The Maternal and Child health clinic in Tanzania is operated by the CSIS (Center for Strategic & International Studies) Global Health Policy Center. The eagerness of mothers to ensure the best possible care for their children and themselves is undeniable. Women arrive at CSIS health clinics early in the morning, with one child or with several, and sometimes from great distances, to wait patiently to meet with providers, ask questions, and receive advice. The new Maternal and Child Survival Program (MCSP) runs programs with the overarching goal to end “preventable child and maternal deaths within a generation.”19 MCSP activities in Tanzania include working with MOHSW to “improve the environment for RMNCH services through technical leadership and coordination; strengthen key health systems to deliver quality RMNCH services; strengthen the involvement of civil society; support institutions in RMNCH; and improve uptake of innovations.