DAR ES SALAAM, Nov 4 (NNN-DAILYNEWS) — THE newly launched “Angel of Life” Midwifery Training Centre in Dar es Salaam is set to enhance midwifery skills in Tanzania, with the goal of reducing child mortality rates across the country.
The centre was established through a collaborative effort between the Tanzania-China Friendship Promotion Association (TCFPA), Wenzhou Medical University and Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd.
The opening ceremony was attended by the Vice Governor of Zhejiang Province, Yang Qingjiu, who expressed his optimism that the centre will play a vital role in training more midwives to support maternal and child health in Tanzania.
“We can expand the programme so that Tanzanians can also pursue midwifery courses in China,” said Yang, adding that this partnership strengthens not only healthcare cooperation but also opens doors for future economic collaboration.
Beijing AmBridge International Culture Development Ltd.’s CEO, Don Qixin, said, “This centre is the result of over four years of collaborative efforts to train Tanzanian midwives, ultimately to assist women and children here in Tanzania.
By setting up the centre locally, we aim to bring Chinese healthcare professionals here to Tanzania to train midwives, while also working closely with Tanzanian hospitals.”
Qixin noted that with the new centre, there is potential to increase training capacity based on available resources.
Joseph Kahama, Secretary General of the (TCFPA), commented, “We are taking this crucial step to help reduce infant mortality in Tanzania.
By learning from China, where only four out of every 1,000 infants die, we hope to bring about similar positive changes here, ensuring safer births and longer lives.”
Kahama highlighted the longstanding history between China and Tanzania, dating back to the 1960s when Chinese doctors first came to support healthcare in Tanzania.
“This centre is a continuation of that partnership, now focused specifically on maternal and child health to help reduce infant mortality rates.
Many infant deaths are linked to childbirth complications, which is why training more midwives is so important,” he added.
Lt Gen (Retired) Abdulrahman Shimbo, a board member of the (TCFPA), emphasised that the relationship between Tanzania and China has consistently fostered beneficial cooperation.
He stated, “Our collaboration with China has spanned numerous fields, with our association strengthening educational and business opportunities in both nations.”
Chaogeun Dong, Deputy Dean of the School of Nursing at Wenzhou Medical University, explained that the programme began in 2018 and has since trained 289 Tanzanian midwives in China.
“With this centre now in Tanzania, we aim to sustain this programme long-term and support more local patients,” she said. — NNN-DAILYNEWS