Peramiho Legislator Jenista Mhagama
By ORTON KIISHWEKO
Members of Parliament (MPs)
have petitioned the government over what they view as insignificance
given to Family Planning issues in the five year national development
Plan.
While they commend the
government for prioritizing the health sector and particularly showing
the ambition to cut maternal mortality rates from 454 to 175 per
100,000 births and child mortality rates from 112 to 45 per 1000 births
by 2015/2016, they specifically point to what they view as a “glaring
loophole” in the plan where no funds are allocated to Family Planning
issues.
In the petition, sent to
President Jakaya Kikwete, Prime Minister Mizengo Pinda, Speaker Anne
Makinda, Minister for finance and the ministry of health and social
welfare, they note that not including it in the national plan may
frustrate the government’s efforts when mobilizing resources for this
particular “very important issue” for Tanzanians.
“In the health sector, page
156, there is no money allocated to ensure certain availability of
reproductive services including contraceptives for family planning,
except that there is 15bn/- put as training for people to give those
services.”The petition, it is expected, would influence planning at the
Planning Commission.
Through the Parliamentary
Family Planning Club (PFFC), headed by Peramiho Legislator Jenista
Mhagama, the law makers quote extensively from local and international
insights to make a point that not including it in the development plans
may contradict the government’s other development plans like the
national plan to reduce maternal mortality deaths 2008-2015
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