editor
Hassan Magulumali
The Tanzanian government will receive and consider proposals from young people aimed at improving primary healthcare services in dispensaries, health centres and district hospitals through the Opportunities and Obstacles to Development (O&OD) planning system, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, has said.
Prof. Shemdoe made the remarks on October 23, 2026, in Arusha while opening a youth-led dialogue on reproductive health and mental health organised by the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA).
He emphasised the importance of involving young people in healthcare decision-making, noting that 90 per cent of young people access health services through primary healthcare facilities.
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However, young people aged 10 to 24, who account for 31 per cent of Tanzania’s population of 61 million, continue to face challenges in accessing youth-friendly healthcare services, including issues related to teenage pregnancies and child marriages.
“I urge young people to make good use of these two days and come up with practical recommendations with clear implementation timelines so they can be assessed and, where possible, incorporated into plans and budgets for implementation,” Prof. Shemdoe said.
He also highlighted the government’s investment in primary healthcare infrastructure under President Samia Suluhu Hassan, urging young people to protect the facilities to ensure they continue serving communities and future generations.
Prof. Shemdoe further encouraged young people to acquire knowledge about maternal and child health to support government efforts to improve healthcare outcomes.
Meanwhile, ECSA Director General Dr. Ntuli Kapologwe said people under the age of 24 account for approximately 65 per cent of the population in the community’s member countries.
He said empowering young people with reproductive health and mental health education would help reduce maternal and child deaths and encourage more women to deliver in health facilities.
ECSA Youth Network representative Dr. Kuduishe Kisowile said a significant proportion of maternal deaths was associated with teenage pregnancies and pregnancies among young people who had not reached an appropriate age.
He said young participants would discuss strategies to prevent such deaths and strengthen collaboration among government ministries to address teenage pregnancies.
The meeting has brought together approximately 200 young people from regions across mainland Tanzania and Zanzibar to discuss adolescent reproductive health, mental health and the implementation of various health interventions championed by President Samia Suluhu Hassan.
These initiatives include efforts to ensure that no woman gives birth at home, reduce maternal deaths and ensure that every child and adult who needs vaccination receives it.
