Tanzania Triples Budget for Contraceptives

According to a representative from IPPF, and as a result of advocacy activities by Tanzanian civil society, the Tanzania government has tripled is national budget line allocated for contraceptives to $7.65 million. UMATI, the IPPF Member Association in Tanzania, announced that the Tanzanian government has committed to increase the government budget line for contraceptives from $2.65 million to $7.6 million. This is the first increase in funding since 2005 and a significant victory for advocates and women in Tanzania.

As we know at Women Deliver, maternal mortality could be cut by nearly three-quarters by improving women’s access to comprehensive reproductive health services, including family planning and access to contraceptives. And access to effective contraception could avert an estimated 90% of deaths from unsafe abortions and 20% of other obstetric deaths. It’s wonderful to see the Tanzanian government taking action to improve the health of their women and girls: Invest in women – it pays!