UK Minister for Development and Africa Visits EngenderHealth-Led Scaling up Family Planning Programme in Tanzania, Announces Additional £12 Million to Ensure SRH Service Provision for All

EngenderHealth in Tanzania was honored to host the UK Minister for Development and Africa, Hon. Andrew Mitchell on a field visit to the Scaling up Family Planning (SuFP) program at Vingunguti Dispensary in Dar es Salaam.

The Minister was accompanied by the British High Commissioner in Tanzania, Hon. David Concar, Development Director Kemi Williams, and Tanzania Deputy Minister for Health, Dr. Godwin Mollel, along with a team from the British High Commission in Tanzania, Human Development Team Leader, Gertrude Mapunda and Programme Officer Jackline Fulgence.

The purpose of the visit was to showcase the services supported by the SuFP program, gain insights into the perspectives of family planning clients, and observe the integration of sexual and reproductive health (SRH) in the education sector through sports. Due to the great relationship fostered between the British government and the Tanzanian government, during this visit, the Minister announced an additional injection of 12 million pounds from the British government to the SuFP program through partners EngenderHealth, Marie Stopes Tanzania, and the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA). The Minister reiterated the British government’s commitment to supporting the Tanzanian government in combating gender-based violence and violence against children, ensuring girls’ education, and delivering inclusive SRH services to women, men, young people, and persons with disabilities.

SuFP, a five-year program funded by the U.K. Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) through the British High Commission in Tanzania, is implemented by a consortium led by EngenderHealth in partnership with Pathfinder International, Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT), and DKT International. The program supports a total of 616 health facilities in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar, including the Vingunguti Dispensary.

In expressing his gratitude to FCDO and the collaborative efforts of the SuFP programme, Dr. Moke Magoma, the Country Representative of EngenderHealth in Tanzania, emphasized the profound impact of this program in continuing to provide high-quality, accessible services to the community.