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Dar es Salaam, 05th July 2023. The National Bank of Commerce(NBC) and Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation has entered a strategic partnership aiming to improve maternal health in Tanzania, through the provision of 100
scholarships for registered nurses. The scholarships will provide these in-service nurses with higher education opportunities to enhance their knowledge and skills around midwifery.
The Tanzanian government and Partners have made tremendous strides, towards improving health and wellbeing of all. This includes making deliberate efforts towards mitigating maternal morbidity and mortality in the country. Various programs have been implemented, aiming at strengthening health systems and capacity building and awareness of the community in taking appropriate actions towards improving health outcomes throughout the pregnancy and delivery journey. We have observed gradual increase of employment of skilled health care workers at all levels of health facilities, massive health infrastructure improvement, reinforcement of referral system through innovation solutions such as M-MAMA initiative, to mention a few. This is commendable work that has laid the foundation for other stakeholders, to support complementary interventions towards improved maternal and newborn health care which yet still our country indicators are not appealing.
Maternal Mortality Rates:
As per the 2021 report by Maternal and Perinatal Death Surveillance and Response (MPDSR), the top five regions with high maternal mortality rates in Tanzania includes Dar es Salaam with (12.72%), Mwanza (10.77%), Morogoro (7.18%), Rukwa (4.66%) and Kigoma (4.53%). These numbers are still high, and need progressive multisectoral solutions from the Government, stakeholders including the private sector, non-government entities, communities as well as health care workers. Today, we are here to witness the continuation of innovative solutions that have been designed by the Mkapa Foundation in close collaboration with Government and partners.
We are proud to join forces with the National Bank of Commerce to empower Tanzanian nurses through 100 scholarships, enhancing midwifery skills and contributing to maternal health. This strategic partnership reaffirms our commitment to sustainable solutions for a healthier Tanzania." -
Dr. Ellen Mkondya-Senkoro, CEO, Benjamin Mkapa Foundation
It has also been reported by WHO that enhancing skills of nurses in midwifery will evade 41% of maternal deaths, 39% of neonatal deaths, and 26% of stillbirths. In addition, we observe Tanzania reporting a rise of deliveries attended by skilled health workers, from 63.5% in 2016 to 85% in 2022. Furthermore, as per country’s maternal death reviews, it is reported that about 80% of deaths are attributed to gaps in our health workers competence, practice, and attitude. It is on this fact that enhancement of skills (upskilling) of our existing nurses is critical. The Mkapa Foundation and NBC collaborative approach aims at sharpening and developing further skills of the nurses working in the primary health facilities to be able to perform midwifery duties, which is of utmost importance.
The 2-year scholarship project will cover full-time 12-month Diploma level training in Midwifery, for registered nurses, currently working in the 2 regions of Morogoro and Mwanza. Each region shall benefit 50 registered nurses, originating from government primary healthcare facilities. This is a cost-sharing in-service scholarship project, which will cater for tuition fees, field placement, costs for license examinations, just to mention a few.
