PRESIDENT SAMIA TO SPEARHEAD AFRICAN DRIVE TO EXPAND SPECIALISED NEWBORN CARE

Tanzania’s President Samia launches a continental newborn health initiative, showcasing Kwimba District Hospital’s successful neonatal care model.

MWANZA, TANZANIA, November 13, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — Tanzania’s President, Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, is launching a continental initiative to expand standard newborn healthcare across Africa. Drawing directly on Tanzania’s domestic success in improving survival rates for premature babies, the program will fund the construction of dedicated neonatal wards and support clinical training for healthcare workers in partner African nations.
The new drive was announced on November 11, 2026, by Hon. Ummy Mwalimu, Presidential Adviser on Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health and Head of the Secretariat of the African Union Champion for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health, during an official tour of Kwimba District Hospital in Tanzania’s Mwanza Region.
Exporting a Proven Neonatal Model Across Africa
Mandated by African Union Heads of State and Government to champion maternal and child health on the continent, President Samia is mobilizing resources to turn continental commitments into physical medical infrastructure. The initiative will also urge African governments to boost national budget allocations for healthcare facilities and medical staffing.
During her visit, Hon. Mwalimu highlighted the standard neonatal unit at Kwimba District Hospital as a flagship model that Tanzania will showcase to neighboring and partner nations. She further announced that President Samia has pledged TSh 500 million toward building a new maternity ward at the Kwimba facility.
“President Samia is determined to translate her continental responsibility as African Union Champion into tangible investments that save the lives of mothers and newborns across Africa,” said Hon. Ummy Mwalimu.
Clinical Breakthroughs at Kwimba District Hospital
Dr. Felix Bundala, Assistant Director for Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health Services at the Ministry of Health, reported that the Kwimba neonatal unit achieved major clinical milestones within its first nine months of operation:
• Expanded Access: The number of newborns treated rose from 183 to 542.
• Lower Referral Burden: Outgoing patient referrals dropped by 70 percent.
• Higher Survival Rates: Mortality among admitted newborns fell sharply from 34 percent to 12 percent.
Driving Continental and National Health Goals
This continental expansion advances President Samia’s African Union “Three Zeros” agenda, which targets the elimination of home deliveries, preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and missed childhood vaccinations.
At the national level, the results in Kwimba reinforce the Tanzanian Government’s target to build at least 60 standard neonatal units by 2028, supporting its 2030 goal of lowering newborn mortality to 12 or fewer deaths per 1,000 live births.
Created through a strategic partnership between the Government of Tanzania, the Doris Mollel Foundation, and health sector development partners, the Kwimba unit serves as a blueprint for collaborative investment in maternal and newborn survival.
About the Office of the African Union Champion for Reproductive, Maternal and Child Health:
Led by H.E. Dr. Samia Suluhu Hassan, President of the United Republic of Tanzania, the Secretariat coordinates continental advocacy, strategic partnerships, and resource mobilization to accelerate reductions in maternal and neonatal mortality across African Union member states.

James Mhilu
Secretariet for AU Champion RMNCH
+255 767 988 097
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Written By: EIN Presswire