NEW YORK: TANZANIA has called for stronger collective action and sustained investment in healthcare to protect the lives of mothers, newborns, children and adolescents across Africa.
The call was made by Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation, Ambassador Mahmoud Thabit Kombo, who spoke on behalf of President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan during a high-level dialogue in New York on Monday.
The dialogue, convened by Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama on the sidelines of the 81st United Nations General Assembly (UNGA81), focused on the theme, “Accra Reset: Closing the Loop by Revitalising the Global Development System.”
Ambassador Kombo noted that Africa had recorded progress in reducing maternal and child mortality, but warned that these gains must be protected and sustained as countries face limited resources and increasing pressure on their health systems.
He emphasised that investing in quality healthcare remains critical to building healthy families and securing a healthier and more prosperous future for the continent.
Africa is preparing a Continental Plan for Maternal and Child Survival that will establish measurable targets and strengthen accountability systems in efforts to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health.
Under the “Mother Africa Calls” initiative, she called on governments, development partners and the private sector to continue working with Africa to ensure that life-saving interventions receive adequate resources and are implemented effectively.
President Mahama, for his part, stressed the importance of Global South countries building domestic capacity, strengthening health systems and increasing local production of essential products, including medicines.
He also commended President Samia for her leadership of the Mother Africa Initiative, saying the programmelinks public policy with private-sector accountability in strengthening maternal and child health.
Tanzania is expected to host the high-level meeting which is scheduled for today in New York on the sidelines of UNGA81. Africa CDC has confirmed that the meeting will focus on accelerating action around maternal and child survival and the continent’s “Three Zeros” agenda.
Expected outcomes include adoption of a formal declaration to accelerate action towards ending preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths, alongside investment commitments from governments and development partners.
The initiative builds on President Samia’s continental health leadership and Tanzania’s participation in efforts to accelerate access to quality and safe healthcare for women and children by 2030. President Samia is the African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health.
She was endorsed by the 39th Ordinary Session of the African Union Assembly in February 2026 as the AU Champion for Maternal and Child Health. The AU decision specifically records her appointment to this role.
The role is essentially a continental advocacy and political leadership mandate. It involves helping mobilise African governments and partners around efforts to reduce preventable deaths among mothers, newborns and children, strengthen health systems, improve financing and accountability and accelerate implementation of agreed continental health priorities.
The broader continental roadmap launched in Arusha in September 2026 sets out the “Three Zeros” priorities of zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths, zero unsafe deliveries and referrals without skilled care and zero unvaccinated children.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Deogratius Ndejembiarrived in New York, United States, yesterday to represent President Dr Samia at the 81st Session of the UNGA81.
The Vice-President was received at John F Kennedy International Airport by Tanzania’s Ambassador to the United States, Elsie Kanza, Tanzania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York, Ambassador Togolani Mavura and other officials.
Mr Ndejembi is scheduled to address the 81st Session of the UN General Assembly and participate in various meetings, including the General Debate, high-level side events and bilateral meetings.
His participation is expected to provide an opportunity for Tanzania to engage with other countries on issues of international cooperation and matters of shared interest during the high-level UNGA session.
