On September 10, 2026, the Beginnings Fund Initiative in Tanzania took another step toward coordinated implementation, as the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) convened partners and government stakeholders for a dinner gala in Arusha to introduce the program and strengthen collaboration ahead of its rollout.

The evening brought together Regional Administrative Secretaries (RAS), Regional Medical Officers (RMOs), Regional Reproductive and Child Health Coordinators (RRCHCOs), implementing partners, and other key stakeholders from the regions where the program will be implemented. The gathering provided an opportunity to introduce the initiative, strengthen alignment among stakeholders, and highlight the collective effort needed to accelerate progress in maternal and newborn health in Tanzania.

Government, partners united around implementation

The event was officially opened by Anne Magege, Beginnings Fund Tanzania Program Director, who took guests through the goals of the initiative, its approach, and the planned rollout in Tanzania. Her remarks provided an overview of the program and its focus on bringing together the government, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to accelerate progress in maternal and newborn health.

The Guest of Honour, Prof. Tumaini Nagu, Deputy Permanent Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG), also addressed the gathering. In her remarks, Prof. Nagu emphasised the importance of coordination, shared accountability, and partnership in improving maternal and newborn health outcomes in Tanzania. She reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to providing leadership and taking the necessary steps to reduce neonatal deaths, noting that initiatives such as the Beginnings Fund can contribute to achieving this goal.

About Beginnings Fund

Launched in April 2025, the Beginnings Fund is a pan-African initiative committed to reducing preventable maternal and newborn deaths, with an ambitious target of saving more than 300,000 lives by 2030. The fund invests in strengthening health systems, building workforce capacity, and scaling low-cost, evidence-based innovations across Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia, Ghana, Lesotho, Uganda, and Zimbabwe.

In Tanzania, the program is designed to accelerate progress toward national 2030 targets for reducing maternal and neonatal mortality and preventing stillbirths. It is projected to save approximately 51,334 lives by improving access to and quality of maternal and newborn health services nationwide.

With implementation planned across 12 regions, the program will bring together government leadership and technical partners to strengthen priority maternal and newborn health interventions. Areas of focus will include access to essential commodities, health workforce capacity, infrastructure, data systems, emergency referral and transport, as well as leadership, management, and advocacy.

Building momentum for implementation

As the overall lead partner for Beginnings Fund coordination in Tanzania, the Ifakara Health Institute will support collaboration across the program and help connect national, regional, and implementing partners around the initiative’s objectives.

The gathering also created space for regional stakeholders to engage directly with the program and consider how the planned investments can translate into stronger services and better outcomes for mothers and newborns within their respective regions.

As implementation moves forward, the partnerships established through the Beginnings Fund will be central to translating resources, evidence, and innovation into practical improvements in maternal and newborn care across Tanzania.