Health 8 October 2026 Nile Post
African Parliaments Urged to Fund Maternal Health Promises
Ummy Mwalimu, representing the African Union Maternal and Child Health Champion Secretariat, has called on African governments and parliaments to move beyond declarations and translate maternal and child health commitments into tangible actions, including sustained financing and essential services. Source: https://nilepost.co.ug/news/376648/ummy-urges-african-parliaments-to-turn-maternal-health-commitments-into-action
Speaking on the sidelines of the 153rd Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) Assembly in Arusha, Tanzania, Ummy Mwalimu emphasized the critical need for African parliaments to convert their political promises regarding maternal and child health into concrete investments. Mwalimu, who heads the African Union Maternal and Child Health Champion Secretariat, highlighted that while President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s role as AU Champion has kept these issues on the agenda, actual progress requires sustained financing, essential commodities, and robust frontline health services.
Mwalimu pointed to Tanzania’s success in reducing maternal mortality as a testament to what can be achieved when political will is backed by significant investment in health systems. She urged other African nations to learn from this experience and adapt strategies to accelerate their own progress.
The focus must shift from mere commitments to ensuring the availability of life-saving resources, such as safe blood and medicines for managing postpartum hemorrhage. Mwalimu stressed that preventing maternal deaths depends on adequately equipped health systems capable of responding effectively to complications, especially at the primary point of care.
She called for improved coordination of investments in frontline healthcare to ensure resources reach the facilities and workers directly serving mothers and children. Lawmakers, she noted, have a crucial role in using their legislative, budgetary, and oversight powers to turn global and continental goals into impactful policies and services.
This appeal aligns with the African Union’s “Three Zeros” agenda, aiming for zero preventable maternal and newborn deaths, zero unsupervised home deliveries, and zero unvaccinated children. With Africa bearing a significant burden of global maternal deaths and unvaccinated children, Mwalimu reiterated that achieving these ambitious targets requires unwavering political commitment, accountability, and coordinated investment in the health systems that women, newborns, and children rely upon.