DAR ES SALAAM, Oct. 26 -- FOR a mother living far from a major hospital, the difference between life and death during pregnancy or childbirth can depend on the distance to the nearest health facility, the availability of essential equipment and whether trained health workers are on hand when complications arise.

Across Tanzania, improvements in maternal and newborn healthcare are increasingly visible not only in referral hospitals in major cities but also in health centres and district hospitals that previously offered limited services.

The transformation forms part of the countrys broader ambitions under Dira 2050, which places health and human wellbeing among its priorities. The long-term goal is to reduce preventable maternal, newbor...