African parliamentarians have been urged to move beyond political commitments and take concrete action to reduce preventable maternal, newborn and child deaths across the continent.
The call was made on the sidelines of the ongoing 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Assembly in Arusha, during a high-level parliamentary meeting on women, children and adolescent health, where leaders, health experts and development partners stressed the need for stronger legislation, adequate financing and effective oversight of health services.
Speaking at the meeting, Speaker of the National Assembly of Tanzania, Mussa Hassan Zungu, said parliamentarians had a critical role to play in ensuring that political commitments translate into tangible improvements in people’s lives.
He said the health and wellbeing of women and children remained a priority, noting that preventable deaths were often linked to barriers to accessing quality healthcare.
“Parliament has vital responsibilities to support legislation, secure adequate and predictable financing, and oversee implementation,” Zungu said.
He added that resources must reach health facilities and communities that need them most, while governments should prioritize equitable access to maternal and newborn care, sexual and reproductive health services, nutrition and adolescent health.
Zungu said parliamentary networks provided an opportunity for lawmakers across Africa to share experiences and strengthen their ability to advocate for practical solutions in their respective countries.
Presidential Adviser on Reproductive and Maternal Health, Ummy Mwalimu, who represented President Samia Suluhu Hassan, said Africa had made progress in reducing maternal mortality but warned that the pace remained insufficient.
She said maternal mortality in African Union member states declined by 42 per cent between 2000 and 2023, but Africa still accounted for about 70 per cent of global maternal deaths.
“At the current pace, Africa would not be able to reach the Sustainable Development Goal target of 70 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births until around 2050,” Mwalimu said.
She said the continent already knew many of the interventions needed to prevent maternal and child deaths, but the major challenge was translating knowledge and commitments into financed programmes, functioning health services and measurable results.
Mwalimu highlighted President Samia’s role as African Union Champion for Maternal and Child Health, saying her roadmap was intended to accelerate action on reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health across the continent.
Chair of the IPU African Geopolitical Group, Ali Kolotou Tchaïmi, said parliamentarians had a responsibility to ensure that health commitments reached ordinary citizens.
He said lawmakers were responsible for passing laws, approving budgets and overseeing governments, particularly in protecting vulnerable populations.
South African National Assembly Speaker Angela Thokozile Didiza also called for stronger political leadership, noting that maternal deaths and childhood immunisation remained major public health concerns.
She supported the African Union’s “Three Zeros” initiative, which seeks zero home deliveries without skilled care, zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths, and zero unvaccinated children.
Africa CDC’s Head of Maternal, Newborn, Child and Adolescent Health and Sexual Reproductive Health, Professor Diana Nambatya Nsubuga, said evidence from all 55 African Union member states showed that many maternal and newborn deaths were preventable.
She identified haemorrhage, hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and anaemia among major causes of maternal deaths, while prematurity and birth asphyxia remained significant causes of newborn deaths.
She urged governments and parliaments to strengthen accountability systems, improve the quality of care, ensure timely reporting of deaths and use reliable data to guide interventions.
President of the Association of Gynaecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania, Dr Sunday Dominico, similarly stressed the importance of well-equipped facilities, skilled health workers and blood supplies in preventing maternal deaths.
Meanwhile, newborn health advocate Doris Mollel urged parliamentarians to strengthen laws and budgets supporting premature and sick newborns. She cited Tanzania’s parliamentary action on parental leave and increased funding for newborn care as examples of how lawmakers can influence health outcomes.
A representative from Botswana said African countries should learn from each other’s successes while confronting difficult issues affecting maternal health, including unsafe abortion, healthcare financing and access to services.
The meeting ended with a renewed call for African parliaments to strengthen oversight, increase health financing and ensure that commitments on maternal, newborn and child health produce measurable results for communities.
