Mothers and babies survival unites Tanzania's Parliamentarians

Evidence. Advocacy. Accountability. These are the drivers of our theory of change, with our conviction resting on the outcome of better allocation and use of resources, and as a result our health facilities are equipped to save mothers and babies lives. A few days ago we were privileged to see the potential of this theory of change in action.
Featured photo: Hon. Job Ndugai, Deputy Speaker of Parliament siging the petitionEvidence. Advocacy. Accountability. These are the drivers of Evidence for Action’s theory of change, with our conviction resting on the outcome of better allocation and use of resources, and as a result our health facilities are equipped to save mothers and babies lives. A few days ago we were privileged to see the potential of this theory of change in action.Only days after the Tanzanian President had launched the sharpened plan of action for accelerated reduction of maternal, newborn and child deaths in Tanzania over the next 600 days, the White Ribbon Alliance Tanzania (WRATZ), in partnership with the Parliamentary Group of Safe Motherhood, conducted an advocacy meeting with honourable MPs in the Parliamentary Grounds in Dodoma. The event was focussed on urging MPs to support the WRATZ campaign for increased access to comprehensive emergency obstetric and newborn care (CEmONC) at the health centre level as per existing commitments laid out in national health strategies and plans, and hence ensure these life-saving services are available closer to those rural women most at need whom evidence shows are missing out on accessing these services, especially caesarean-section and safe blood transfusion.Mama Ye! TZ Director, also Chair of Board of Directors for WRA-TZ, speaking to the MPsMama Ye! as an active member of WRATZ, including my own role as Chair of the Board of Directors for WRATZ, immediately made our way to Dodoma to support Rose  and team as soon as the green light for the event was given with 48hrs notice. It proved to be an unprecedented advocacy opportunity for the survival of our mothers and babies with so many of Tanzania’s legislators and leaders, who have been elected to represent the interests of our communities nationwide.Some of the Tanzanian MPs that participated in maternal and newborn health advocacy meetingDespite the short notice, the participation of our Parliamentarians was highly encouraging, with over one hundred MPs making the time to come along. The ubiquitous Mrisho Mpoto and his cultural group performed a stirring drama of a mother losing her life in childbirth due to the myriad challenges that the majority of our rural mothers face when needing to deliver by operation to save their own life and that of their baby. Rose made the pitch to MPs on the life-saving difference for thousands of our mothers and babies that would be made by improved access across health centres to emergency obstetric care services, especially caesarean-section and safe blood transfusion. I in turn had the opportunity to further build the case for and to appeal to our legislators to make our mothers and babies survival one of their priorities, and was humbled at the ovation received on return to my seat. The deputy chair of the Parliamentary Group of Safe Motherhood, then called on the MPs to sign the petition being circulated to urge the government to earmark and ring-fence resources in the upcoming budget to accelerate progress in upgrading health centres to provide CEmONC services.Guest of Honour, Dr. Pindi Chana, Deputy Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children presents the petitions signed by MPsAnd finally, 81 signed petitions were delivered to the Guest of Honour, the Deputy Minister of Community Development, Gender and Children, Hon. Dr. Pinde Chana, who reaffirmed the commitment by Tanzania’s MPs and leaders to making a difference for our mothers and babies. One of the legislators then gave a particularly moving vote of thanks at the end of the event, taking all by surprise as he emotionally recounted how he had tragically lost his wife during childbirth only a couple of years before.81 MPs signed the petition for increased access to CEmONC at health centre-level; in photo Hon. MP Lediana Mafuru signingIt was also a timely forum for being able to disseminate copies to all the MPs of the Sharpened One Plan, the Policy Brief based on Tanzania’s Countdown to 2015 Case Study, and Tanzania’s RMNCH Scorecard. This means the latest evidence; the prioritised interventions that the government has committed to; and the means for following-up accountability on its delivery, are now in the hands of the MPs only days after their national launch the week before. Hon. MP Aden Rage reading the recently launched National RMNCH ScorecardWe remain with avid interest in watching how the debate of the health budget will be conducted when presented in parliament next week. There is definitely a large cohort of MPs who we believe will be keenly scrutinising how the budget will make a life-saving difference for our mothers and babies. It is our expectation that they will remind each other of this honourable duty by giving a signal adopted at the event last week, by caressing their navels as they enter the Parliament chamber, and as such cherishing this beautiful mark every single one of us has as a legacy of our own safe birth to our beloved mothers.

Share this article