It was time to leave for the hospital. Samueline Razafindravao had intended to give birth at her home in southern Madagascar, but after encountering difficulties, decided to go to her local health centre.

Once there, health staff realized she required urgent care they couldn’t provide – she would have to go to a specialist hospital 200 kilometres away. For that, she needed an ambulance, something rarely available in rural Madagascar.

In recent years, three in five deliveries in Madagascar have occurred at home, many unassisted by skilled birth attendants. These circumstances can put mothers at risk of complications and deadly consequences, especially if emergency obstetric care is hard to reach.

For Ms. Razafindravao, the ambulance ride to the hospital felt like a race against time. “The baby was pushing a lot and then suddenly not moving,” she said.

“I thought I was going to die and lose the baby as well.”

A holistic hospital

After Ms. Razafindravao’s ambulance brought her to the Ambovombe Regional Referral Hospital, she underwent surgery and safely delivered a baby girl.

With its happy ending, her story diverges from that of many other women, according to Dr. Sadoscar Hakizimana, UNFPA’s sexual and reproductive health expert in the region; given the shortage of qualified medical staff, he has also put his skills as a surgeon at the service of the hospital.

“Perhaps 60 to 70 per cent of pregnant women who arrive here have already lost their baby because they have sought medical help too late,” he said. “But we have a 100 per cent success rate of healthy births, either natural or via Caesarean section, for those mothers who arrive on time, as we have a range of care options we can offer them.”

The hospital has two ambulances at its disposal, one of which was provided by UNFPA, the United Nations sexual and reproductive health agency, with funding from the Government of Japan. With this support, the hospital has developed into a specialist facility offering a range of services, including emergency obstetric and fistula repair surgeries.

Meanwhile, two midwives are on hand to help with delivering babies and provide advice on family planning; incubators are available for premature babies.

Midwife Jeanne Bernadine Rasoanirina said, “In the last week I have delivered three babies and over the past month I attended over 330 ante-natal and postnatal consultations – so there is definitely a demand for services.”

The result of these changes and others have been life saving: According to Dr. Germaine Retofa, the acting regional director for public health in Androy, maternal and infant mortality rates are down.

“We can offer a more holistic approach to health care, which may include maternal health services alongside nutrition advice and care for malnourished children,” she said.

Free care saving futures

Ms. Razafindravao is just one of millions of women who intended to give birth at home in Madagascar in recent years. For her, it was a financial decision: “I was worried about the expense of going to hospital,” she said.

To address constraints like these, the Androy Regional Referral Hospital offers all its care for free – a significant consideration in a country where more than 80 per cent of the population confronts persistent poverty.

The hospital’s services are complemented by other services provided by the UN agencies UNDP, UNICEF, WFP and WHO, which work together to provide medical supplies, nutritional advice and support, care for children and services for people with disabilities.

Back at the hospital, Ms. Razafindravao and her now four-day-old baby girl were doing well on the maternity ward. As a young mother, she was learning how to breastfeed her baby, who she named Fandresena.

Before long, it would be time to make the long journey back home, but this time not in an ambulance called in an emergency.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).

On 22 April 2024, H.E. Mr. Parnpree Bahiddha-Nukara, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs, along with H.E. Mr. Sihasak Phuangketkeow, Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs, and heads and officers of the Department of South Asian, Middle East and African Affairs, welcomed the African Ambassadors’ Group from 6 countries, namely (1) H.E. Mr. Lindsay Kimwole Kiptiness, Ambassador of the Republic of Kenya and Dean the African Ambassadors’ Group (2) H.E. Mr. Abderrahim Rahhaly, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Morocco, (3) H.E. Mr. Darkey Ephraim Africa, Ambassador of the Republic of South Africa, (4) H.E. Mrs. Hala Youssef Ahmed Ragab, Ambassador of the Arab Republic of Egypt, (5) H.E. Mrs. Constance Chemwayi, Ambassador of the Republic of Zimbabwe with residence in Kuala Lumpur, and (6) Mr. Mohammed Idris Haidra , Chargé d’affaires a.i., Embassy of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

On this occasion, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs gave an overview of Thailand’s new proactive foreign policy to Africa, especially the Thailand-Africa Initiative (TAI), which comprises 4 pillars of cooperation: political cooperation, development cooperation, economic cooperation and global strategic cooperation. The African Ambassadors pleasantly accepted and fully supported this Initiative. Moreover, both sides agreed to cooperate on economic and technical development under the framework of South-South Cooperation, aiming at collectively achieving international peace, security and sustainable development in Africa and beyond.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Thailand.

More than 400 people embarked on the walk the talk for health and health outreach activity to climax the commemoration of the 2024 World Health Day organized by World Health Organization (WHO) in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health.

The 8km walk in Dar es Salaam and Dodoma with a health outreach programme for the elderly in Zanzibar on the theme “My Health, My Right”, did not only celebrate advances in public health but also highlighted present and future challenges calling for joint work and the strengthening of partnerships to improve the health of the Tanzanian population. 

The Guest of Honour for the walk in Dar es Salaam, the Minister of Health, Hon Ummy Mwalimu, praised WHO for leading with works expecially curating the walk the talk challenge to encourage citizens to prioritize their physical health further encouraging more of this unified walks.

“If we want to achieve the health for all agenda, it must start with us. Let us keep this momentum for all our interventions. It is imperative that we work together and united to guarantee the basic human rights of health and well-being, dignity, and a good quality of life for everyone”.

WHO took the opportunity to reiterate its ongoing commitment to collaborate closely with the government and its partners to tackle the main challenges still affecting the national health system. This includes initiatives such as repositioning primary health care and strengthening community health, with the aim of ensuring that everyone has access to the best possible level of health and well-being.

Echoing these sentiments, Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses highlighted the significance of community engagement in advancing public health goals. “Events such as today’s health walk serve as a powerful reminder of the role each individual plays in shaping the health landscape. By coming together, we not only celebrate our WHO’s achievements but also inspire positive change for the future,” he expressed.

He stated that “WHO greatly appreciates the opportunity to collaborate with Tanzania on events like Walk the Talk. In a world where the right to health is constantly challenged, events like this are potent reminders that together, we can make the right to health a reality for everyone. 

The walk gathered people from all sectors including, implementing partners, policer service, students, ministries, and UN staff with their families.

“I travelled from Dodoma just to be part of this walk the talk in Dar es Salam with the Minister. Thank you WHO, for this huge successful walk. We learned, we connected and as young people, we got the opportunity to grow, both mentally and having our health fit”, expressed, Dagatha Asun, founder for Pharma organization.

The Walk the talk climaxed a compound of activities in commemoration of the World Health Day. These activities included the X space with experts and young people to digest the theme of the day, a round table discussion on health journalist programme and an opinion piece authored by the WR.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of WHO Regional Office for Africa.

The Ministry of Health of the United Republic of Tanzania, in partnership with Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (Gavi), UNICEF and the World Health Organization (WHO), today launched the national multi-age cohort (MAC) vaccination campaign against the human papillomavirus (HPV) – the leading cause of cervical cancer. The campaign, which is targeting over 5 million girls aged 9–14 years, will run from Monday, 22 April, to Friday, 26 April 2024.

While cervical cancer remains a significant cause of death among women in Tanzania, with more than 10,800 cases and 6,800 deaths in 2022 alone, it is vaccine preventable. The HPV vaccine is safe and highly effective in preventing infections. During the campaign, eligible girls will have the opportunity to receive a single dose of the HPV vaccine at no cost.

Efforts to increase access to the HPV vaccine across Tanzania have made substantial progress. In 2018, the two-dose vaccine was integrated into the national routine immunization programme for 14-year-old girls, demonstrating the government’s commitment to safeguarding the health and well-being of future generations.

To date, coverage of the first dose of the HPV vaccine has reached 79%, and the second dose is at 60%. Combined efforts are needed to ensure every girl in Tanzania receives crucial protection against this deadly yet preventable disease. Following the MAC campaign, the vaccine will continue to be provided routinely as a single dose to nine-year-old girls. It will go a long way towards increasing girls’ protection.

Tanzania’s progress in administering the HPV vaccine is a critical part of a broader global initiative supported by the Vaccine Alliance, which has committed additional funding and resources towards reaching 86 million girls worldwide with the HPV vaccine by 2025.

The campaign will leverage African Vaccination Week, synchronized with World Immunization Week (24 to 30 April), during which routine childhood vaccinations along with health education will be provided for girls in schools, health facilities and community centres countrywide.

Throughout this week, the Ministry of Health, Gavi, UNICEF and WHO are urging communities to encourage girls to get vaccinated against cervical cancer and to aim for a future where no girl is burdened by this disease. 

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of World Health Organization (WHO).