International Development Grant
Joining Hands - Improving Maternal Newborn and Child Health in Tanzania
Project Number: CA-3-A035252001
Status: Closed
Country/Region:
Maximum Contribution: $11,997,605.00
Start Date: January 25, 2012
End Date: March 31, 2015
Duration: 3.2 years
Project Description
The project helps women of childbearing age maintain better health and helps to increase survival rates for children under five in Tanzania. It aims to improve the ability of Tanzania’s health system to meet the needs of mothers and children. The project works to bring affordable and quality health services for women and children to front-line health facilities in under-served communities. This makes it easier for lower-income and poorer communities to use these services. The project also works to improve health hygiene and nutrition practices in local communities through health education programs within the communities and by working closely with local organizations and community leaders. Specific project activities include: strengthening patient referral systems placing skilled birth attendants within Aga Khan Primary Medical Centres training public and private health care workers and midwives and providing basic equipment and supplies for the Primary Medical Centres. The project is expected to help approximately 700 000 people including women of childbearing age pregnant women newborns and children. Aga Khan Foundation Canada and the Aga Khan Health Services Tanzania work in partnership with the Tanzanian Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and local governments to implement the project. This project is part of Canada’s maternal newborn and child health commitment.
Expected Results
The expected intermediate outcomes for this project include: (i) improved quality of maternal newborn and child health services at the primary health care level in underserved target areas; (ii) improved use of maternal newborn and child health services by women of childbearing age newborns and children under five particularly lower income and poor women and children at primary health care and referral facilities in underserved target areas; (iii) improved maternal newborn and child health-related health practices of the target population; and (iv) enhanced evidence-based knowledge and understanding of maternal newborn and child health and relevant gender equality and public health issues in a public-private partnership context.
Progress & Results Achieved
Results achieved at the end of the project (March 2015) include: (1) 87% of births are taking place at a health facility up from 50% in 2010. More than 64 000 deliveries were assisted by skilled birth attendants at project-supported health facilities; (2) 79% of trained health workers were providing services according to standard procedures/guidelines at 36 primary health facilities exceeding the target of 70%; (3) according to surveys at project-supported health facilities families’ level of satisfaction with the quality of maternal newborn and child health care received has improved significantly to approximately 80% for most services up from about 50% in 2012; (4) two targeted public health facilities achieved ISO 9000 certification the first public health facilities to do so in Tanzania; and (5) 44% of women are using modern methods of contraception (40 457 women) up from 27% in 2010. These results have contributed to improving the health of women of childbearing age and children under the age of five in underserved communities in five targeted regions in Tanzania.
Key Information
Executing Agency:
Aga Khan Foundation Canada
Reporting Organization:
Global Affairs Canada
Program:
WGM Africa
Last Modified:
September 19, 2025
Development Classifications
DAC Sector:
Aid Type: Project-type interventions
Collaboration: Bilateral
Finance Type: Aid grant excluding debt reorganisation
Selection Mechanism:
Pre-APP