The Tanzania government has made known plans to introduce maternity waiting homes (rooms) that will accommodate pregnant women who live too far away from health centres so they can get regular check-ups before giving birth.

This was made known by the acting Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Dr Donan Mmbando, in Dar es Salaam while receiving four ambulances worth 320 million from the Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA).

He said “Lack of transport from home to health facilities contributes to the delays thus causing maternal mortality in some cases”. The ambulances will be stationed at health centres that will be upgraded into Comprehensive Emergency Obstetric and Newborn Care at Wampembe in Nkasi District, Mtowisa in Sumbawanga Rural District (Rukwa Region), Mwangika in Sengerema District and Sangabuye in Ilemela District (Mwanza Region).

Furthermore, Dr. Mmbabdo said that the government is committed to attaining the Millenium Development Goals (MDGs) numbers four and five saying that the two goals are aimed at reducing mortality among children aged under five years by two and maternal mortality by three quarters, by the year 2015.

“Death among the under five-year-olds have declined from 147 per 1,000 live births in 1999 to 81 per thousand live births in 2010,” he said.

Also at the occasion, the Country Director of Plan International (a Non-Governmental Organization), said that the major barrier that block women from accessing health services include long distances to health facilities and lack of transport.

The Plan International in collaboration with Africare and Jhpiego were carrying out parent and children project in order to address the persistent Maternal Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) challenges, Muthungu said.