Tanzania has found the right formula to considerably reduce mortality rates of children under five years of age. Investments in primary health care interventions for children must be sustained to eradicate preventable child deaths completely.
“Tanzania is among the countries that have reduced child mortality rates by over two-thirds,” states Dr. Felix Bundala, Head of the Newborn Division, under Directorate of Preventive Services, Ministry of Health.
The adoption of the generic material for training health workers on Integrated Management of Childhood Illness (IMCI) contributed to the successful reduction in child mortality rates. The integrated approach was deployed to reduce preventable mortality, and minimize illness – pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhea are among the deadliest diseases among children – and disability of children under five years old. With the adoption of IMCI distant learning, training costs significantly dropped by 70%, accelerating efforts to have health professionals trained. Between 2013 and 2018, more than 7,000 providers from over 3,000 health facilities in 101 out of 185 Councils were trained. Good coverage of cost-effective interventions, such as immunizations, also contributed to Tanzania’s successful drop in child mortality rates. Consequently, the mortality rates among children went from 147 per 1,000 births in 1999 to 43 per 1,000 live births in 2022.
