PressStatement:

ImplementationofLondon(FP2020)CommitmentsonFamilyPlanningin
Tanzania
Introduction:
The second FP2020 Progress Report has been for been released in London on November 3rd,
2014 during a meeting of the Reference Group responsible for coordination of the initiative.
The report has given information from different countries, including Tanzania, showing how
FamilyPlanningservicescontinuedtoexpand.
TheFP2020waslaunchedofficiallyduringahistoricmeetingthattookplaceonJuly11th2012in
Londonwiththeaimofincreasingthepaceofserviceprovisionandcommittingtoreaching120
new women and girls by 2020 in 69 countries, many being in Sub Saharan Africa. At this
meeting,Tanzaniacommittedtoincreasingaccesstofamilyplanninginformationandsupplies
bystrengtheningpoliticalwillandaccountability,togetherwithincreasingresourcesforthose
services.
WeexpressgratitudetokeydonorsinfamilyplanningnamelyUSAID,UNFPA,andDFID,while
also thanking other pledging countries Norway, Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Germany, New
Zealand, Australia, Canada and Japan to keep their promises by rendering support to family
planningeffortsinthecountry.
NationalEffortstowardsthisgoal:
Afterthatmeeting,Tanzaniatookthefollowingactions:
1. NonGovernmental Organizations in collaboration with the Government developed an
FP2020ActionPlantoimplementtheobjectivesoftheLondonmeeting(FP2020Action
Plan)inearly2013thatfocusedoninterventionsthatwouldstrengthenfamilyplanning
servicestoreachmorepeople,especiallyintheLakeandWesternZonesofthecountry.
ThestrategyintheFP2020planfocusedonimprovingtheareasthatwereidentifiedas
lacking in an evaluation of implementation of the National Family Planning Costed
ImplementationPlan(NFPCIP20102015);andalsototakeintoconsiderationnational
FP2020commitments.
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2. Wecommendourgovernmentfortakingthisplanintoconsiderationbymakingfamily
planning a priority in the Strategy to Increase Efforts to Reduce Maternal and Child
Mortality in the Lake and Western Zones (Sharpened One Plan 20142015); other
developmentsincludedeliveryandpostdeliveryservices.

3. Sharpened One Plan was launched by President Kikwete in May this year in Dar es
Salaamandcalledondistrictandregionalleaderstooverseeitsimplementationandto
ensureinformationissubmittedeverythreemonthsthroughascorecardsystem.Ithas
been emphasized that local authorities not delivering on their obligations fully will be
heldaccountable.

4. Recent information shows that there is increasing utilization of family planning. For
examplein2013,newfamilyplanningusersreached207,000;betweenAprilandJune
thisyear(2014)duringthelaunchoftheGreenStarintheLakeZone,186,000newusers
were registered; Mara, which is the last region in the use of modern family planning
methods,hasmadeprogressfrom10%to35%inMarch2014.
5. Inordertostrengthendistributionoffamilyplanningmedicationandothersfor
reproductivehealth,itisencouragingtoseethatuntilnow9,000serviceprovidersand
4,583centersareusingtheILSgatewaytoprovideinformation.Furthermore,161
councilsoutof166havealreadyreceivedtrainingontheeLMIS,allofthis
demonstratingeffortsleadbytheGovernmenttoimprovefamilyplanningservices.
6. The Government has continued to increase its budget allocation for family planning,
from1.0billionin2011/12to2billionin2014/15financialyears.Thegovernmentalso
gave 1.5 billion Tanzanian shillings last year, 2012/13, for these services even though
therewasnoallocationforfamilyplanningonthatfinancialyear.

7. At the local government level, the Government has approved budget guidelines that
directallLocalGovernmentsAuthoritiestoallocateabudgetforfamilyplanningevery
year using their own internal sources. For example Ngara, Biharamulo and Chato,
Bukombe allocated between 5 and 30 million Tanzanian shillings each. Kinondoni
allocated 41 million for the year 2013/14. A recent assessment showed that 64
authorities out of 77 have made budget allocations for family planning. These efforts
willassistinmeetingtheactualneedforfamilyplanningfinancing,whichisat20billion
Tanzanianshillingsannually.

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8. Also,thereareothereffortstoincreaseutilizationoffamilyplanningservices,andthese
include using Community Based Distributors CBD, vertical and outreach services to
reachpeoplewhoareinareaswithoutfacilitiesoradequateskilledserviceproviders.

9. The president has been at the forefront to ensure these commitments are attained
through increased political will and accountability. In his speeches, the President has
emphasizedimplementationofthesegoalsbyengagingdifferentsectors.Whenhewas
launching the Census Report in early 2013, he stressed the need to increase use of
familyplanningservices.
StatementbyMaternalandChildHealthStakeholders:
Asaresultofthesedevelopments,togetherwecommendtheGovernmentforitseffortsto
strengthenfamilyplanningservicestogetherwithpromotingaccountabilityatalllevels.

1. WecallontheGovernmenttocontinueincreasingresourcesfortheseservicesatall
levelsinordertoincreasethepaceofimplementationofitsgoalstoimproveservices
forwomenandchildreninthecountry.
2. WerecommendtotheGovernmenttoreexaminethelackofskilledserviceproviders
andtoreflectonexistingopportunitiessuchasutilizingcommunitybaseddistributors
(CBDs)inordertoincreaseaccesstotheseservicestothosewhoneedtheminrural
areas.
3. Lastly,wecalluponthegovernmenttomakeprogrammaticandfinancialinvestmentsto
ensureyoungpeopleaccessfamilyplanninginformation,servicesandsuppliestoavert
teenagepregnanciesandabortions.
WewouldliketoexpressourgratitudeforthecooperationandbelievethattheGovernment
willtakeintoconsiderationtheserecommendationstowardseffectiveimplementationof
nationalgoalstoimprovematernalandchildhealth.
Issuedby:
Dk.PeterBujari

ReginaldMunisi,
MkurugenziMtendaji,

Mwenyekiti,
HealthPromotionTanzania(HDT).

UnitedNationsAssociation.

OnbehalfofMaternalandChildHealthStakeholdersinTanzania
DaresSalaam,4thNovember,2014.

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