Rotary to build a hospital dedicated to mother and child care in Tanzania 

Groundbreaking of medical center to take place in Kibaha on 15 April

( Dar Es Salaam, TANZANIA: 10 April, 2009 ) – Rotary, one of the world's largest humanitarian service organizations, announced the launch of a new US $1 million mother and child care initiative that seeks to improve the quality of the medical services for women and children in Tanzania. 

The dedication of the Rotary Mother and Child Medical Complex and the Tumbi Hospital Renovation Project in Kibaha is scheduled for 11 am on 15 April.

Attendees at the dedication ceremony will include Rotary International President Dong Kurn Lee, Regional Commissioner, Minister of Health, Regional Administrative Secretary, Regional Medical Officer, Kibaha Education Centre Executive Director, and Sir Andy Chande.

Worldwide, an estimated 26,000 children under the age of five die every day from preventable diseases such as pneumonia, measles, and malaria.  "Once I understood the issues behind that terrible number, I made reducing childhood mortality my emphasis during my term as president,” said Rotary International President Lee.

The new hospital dedicated to mother and child healthcare is expected to save up to 42 children per day. Lee sees this initiative as an essential step in reducing childhood mortality in Africa.

The mother and child care initiative is focused in two areas: increasing the availability of preventive care, including drug treatments; and building a hospital system to reach as many women and children as possible with the care they need.

Sang Koo Yun, a member of Sae Hanyang Rotary Club in Seoul Korea who spearheads the initiative, said that Rotary clubs in Korea had donated 500,000,000 Korean Won (approximately US$500,000) to support the initiative. The donation was matched by the Community Chest of Korea, which supports Rotary’s commitment to childhood survival.    

The fact-finding team organized by Rotary was dispatched to Tanzania in November 2008, where they visited different medical facilities related to mother and child healthcare, and met with top health officials, hospital management, and local Rotary club members. 

Based on the team’s recommendations, the Tumbi Hospital in Kibaha was selected as the site for the Rotary Mother and Child Hospital. The Tumbi Hospital is a part of the Kibaha Training Center, where health officers and nurses are trained.

“Since the existing mother and child healthcare facility at the hospital needs updating and refurbishment, new operating theater, delivery rooms, and an X-ray room are to be constructed, and also more modern equipment and furnishings are to be installed,” said Yun.

In addition, on-site training and education programs are to be implemented to improve the quality of the medical services and management, as well as public awareness programs to educate the residents about health and hygiene.

Yun said, “We hope the project will set an example for people who wish to engage in similar initiatives. More importantly, the project will enrich the lives of one million residents of Pwani region in Tanzania. And, ultimately, we hope to save up to 42 children a day.”

Rotary – an organization of business and professional leaders united worldwide in humanitarian service - has more than 1.2 million members in more than 33,000 clubs in over 200 countries and geographic regions. For more information, please visit www.rotary.org .

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