Tanzania Health Summit 2025 Pledges to End Maternal Deaths
A Call to Action for Digital Innovation in Healthcare
The Tanzania Health Summit (THS 2025) brought together hundreds of health leaders, innovators, and partners to advocate for the use of data and technology in transforming healthcare. The event, held from 1-3 October at the Julius Nyerere International Convention Centre, emphasized the importance of digital innovation in achieving Universal Health Coverage (UHC) and strengthening the national health system.
Dr. Seif Shekalaghe, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health Tanzania, highlighted the country's ongoing investments in digital health and data systems during the summit's opening. He stressed that evidence-based policymaking is crucial for achieving national health goals. Maternal health remains a central focus for Tanzania, not only as a health priority but also as a key component of human capital development.
Every maternal death represents a significant loss with far-reaching social and economic consequences. According to the Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey (TDHS) 2022, the country's maternal mortality ratio has decreased from 556 to 104 deaths per 100,000 live births. This progress reflects the efforts of health providers, policymakers, and communities across the country.
Mark Bryan Schreiner, UNFPA Representative, praised Tanzania's leadership in championing data-driven reforms. He emphasized that achieving UHC is a moral imperative, highlighting the role of data and technology in saving lives, ensuring accountability, and providing quality care for all.
Under Tanzania's visionary leadership, progress in digital health has accelerated. Innovations such as the mmama emergency transport system, electronic immunization registries, and the expansion of the E-LMIS platform are transforming how data is captured, shared, and used. These advancements save time, resources, and lives.
New findings from the Maternal Mortality Study revealed steady yet uneven progress in reducing maternal deaths. Despite advances, disparities persist between rural and urban areas. Participants emphasized the need for stronger use of real-time data to guide targeted investments, strengthen referral systems, and ensure lifesaving services reach women in remote communities.
Development partners, professional associations, civil society, and the private sector reaffirmed their shared responsibility in closing these gaps. They called for increased domestic financing to sustain innovation and scale up proven solutions. Schreiner commended Tanzania's growing investment in health, including initiatives like the HIV Response Levy and the AIDS Trust Fund, which demonstrate national ownership and commitment to sustainable health financing.
UNFPA's strong engagement at THS 2025 underscored its leadership in advancing data-driven health transformation. Dr. Victor Bakengesa and Ms. Melissa McNeilBarrett contributed to high-level panels on digital logistics and sexual and reproductive health (SRH) financing, offering practical strategies to strengthen data systems and safeguard reproductive health gains.
The dedicated UNFPA-led forum at THS 2025 served as a crucial platform for dialogue and collective reflection on the findings of the Maternal Mortality Study. It brought together policymakers, researchers, the private sector, and development partners to explore practical pathways for translating evidence into action.
Discussions emphasized the need to strengthen domestic financing mechanisms, leverage digitalization and innovation to close service delivery gaps, and expand public-private partnerships for sustainable health impact. This forum laid the groundwork for continued collaboration, ensuring that commitments made during the summit evolve into tangible policies, programs, and investments that advance UHC and end preventable maternal deaths in Tanzania.
UNFPA's exhibition booth attracted over 160 visitors, showcasing publications such as the SRHR Scorecard (Follow the Data), 2024 Annual Report, Corporate Brochure, Chaguo Langu, Haki Yangu programme report, SYP Alama Newsletter, and Subira comic book. More than 350 publications were distributed, inspiring new partnerships and community engagement around Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR).
At the heart of UNFPA's message was the recognition that maternal health is both a human right and an investment in Tanzania's future. Ensuring access to family planning, skilled birth attendance, emergency obstetric care, and comprehensive sexuality education aligns directly with the Tanzania Development Vision 2050, which envisions a healthy, educated, and empowered population as the foundation for inclusive and sustainable growth.
As the summit closed, a unifying message echoed throughout the hall: data, innovation, and collaboration are not abstract concepts—they are tools that save lives. With sustained leadership and collective action, Tanzania's digital health transformation is bringing the country closer to the vision of Universal Health Coverage, where every pregnancy is safe and every life counts.
"Let this summit be a springboard for bold action," urged Schreiner in his closing words. "Together, we can harness the power of data and technology to build a future where no woman dies while giving life."
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