Arusha – Tanzania,
The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Seif Shekalaghe, has stated that the Child Health and Welfare Quality Improvement Program is a crucial tool in enhancing access to quality health services for children and adolescents in the country.
Speaking recently in Arusha, Dr. Shekalaghe, during the Second National Conference on Child Health and Welfare, after officially launching (in June), the program aimed at addressing the challenges facing children and adolescents, including nutritional problems, teenage pregnancy, and HIV infection.
Dr. Seif Shekalaghe: The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health
The program has been prepared by the Pediatric Association of Tanzania (PAT) for a period of five (5) years, from 2025 to 2030, which is focused on addressing barriers that hinder the health development of children and adolescents, especially those aged 15-19.
The program’s priorities include providing expert advice to the Ministry of Health and health sector stakeholders, lobbying for and developing policies that will enhance the health and well-being of children, investing in research and medical innovation to improve services, and offering continuous training for specialist doctors and other healthcare workers.
The program also aims to strengthen cooperation between the Government, the Private Sector, and international organizations in developing and strengthening resources that will enable the implementation of quality services for children and adolescents.
Earlier, speaking at the launch, the President-elect of the Tanzania Paediatricians Association, Dr. Alex Mphuru, has requested the Government and development stakeholders to collaborate in the implementation of the program, which is estimated to cost a total of 2,241,810,000 Shillings.
