Leaders announce expansion of successful maternal, child health program in Tanzania

"Tanzania has made significant advances in cutting maternal deaths thanks to a United Nations-sponsored program that brings public and private sectors together to resolve one of the most stubborn but preventable woes afflicting the developing world," but more must be done to scale up efforts to save lives, leaders involved in the program said during a news conference on Tuesday at U.N. Headquarters, the U.N. News Centre reports. U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, and Helen Agerup, head of the H&B Agerup Foundation, attended the conference, where they discussed results from the Global Strategy for Women's and Children's Health, according to the news service (10/2).

"Kikwete said Tuesday that his country has cut maternal mortality rates, but not enough and that Tanzania needs more money to close the gap," VOA News writes (Besheer, 10/2). The Bloomberg Philanthropies began funding a maternal health program in Tanzania in 2006, according to Reuters. On Tuesday, Bloomberg announced a partnership with the H&B Agerup Foundation "to spend $8 million to expand the program over the next three years, taking the total spent since the initiative started to $15.5 million," the news service writes, noting the money is expected to help an additional 50,000 mothers and children through 2015 (Nichols, 10/2).