Zanzibar. While 60.6 percent of tourism activities in Zanzibar are reported to be conducted by foreigners, the government has stated that if locals do not change, they will continue to complain about these positions being occupied by people from outside the country.
This was highlighted by the Chief Secretary of the Revolutionary Government of Zanzibar, Zena Said, on August 28, 2024, during the opening of a seminar for permanent secretaries and other stakeholders in the tourism chain about sustainable tourism.
She said it is necessary to consider the needs of the sector and to prepare young people to meet these needs.
“These attitudes we have, where we shuttle people from one place to another, can have serious consequences. Tourists complain, and if the hotel owner feels they’re losing clients because you’re taking them elsewhere, they won’t hesitate to fire you,” Zena said, adding:
“So we must understand what is required, and then we must start to change. If we do not change, we will always complain, and we (the government) cannot force employers to hire unqualified people. So we should accept the standards and meet them so we can be employed, and in the end, we will be considered as Zanzibari residents.”
Zena emphasized that addressing this issue is not solely the government’s responsibility; it also requires the youth to be willing to work and to develop the skills and qualifications needed in a sector that demands exceptional levels of hospitality.
Sustainable Tourism
Regarding sustainable tourism, Zena said the expectation is that the tourism sector to continue to contribute significantly to the national economy but without harming the environment, culture, and customs of the country.
She said while promoting and advocating for tourism, it is crucial to do so in a sustainable manner that does not affect social and environmental issues.
“We must see if the efforts we are making are leading us towards that kind of tourism and what the country’s direction should be in investing in the tourism sector,” she said.
She mentioned that they have agreed on actions to take because they want to protect the environment, customs, and traditions of the area while ensuring that tourism brings significant economic benefits and becomes a part of advising ministries and the President on what to do about sustainable tourism.
She added that the government has numerous plans to diversify tourism beyond beach attractions, including building conference halls and expanding the health sector to attract visitors seeking medical treatment.
“We aim to boost national income through conference and exhibition tourism, but as we pursue this, it’s crucial that we don’t focus solely on economic gains at the expense of social and environmental well-being,” she said.
She noted that while a country might not fully meet the criteria for sustainable tourism, having hotels that do can still enable the country to obtain a sustainable tourism certification.
Discussing the challenges facing the tourism sector, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Trade and Industrial Development, Fatma Mbarouk Khamis, highlighted several pressing issues one of the most significant challenges being the fact that 60.6 percent of all tourism activities in Zanzibar are conducted by foreigners.
This, she said, raises concerns about the local industry’s ability to fully benefit from the sector’s growth.
Khamis also pointed out that 80 percent of the waste generated in Zanzibar is attributed to the tourism sector.
While this presents environmental challenges, she emphasized that it also offers a unique opportunity to develop waste recycling initiatives that could lead to the production of new products, turning a problem into a potential economic benefit.
Moreover, Khamis expressed concern over the deterioration of cultural values and the lack of effective communication between the private sector and the government, noting that “there is no good system between the private sector and the government, as they do not speak the same language.”
She cited the example of dolphin-watching tours, where “there are many boats going to see dolphin tourism, so there is no good system, and this is causing disruption in that area,” highlighting the need for better regulation.
The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities, Dr Aboud Jumbe, added that the concept of sustainable tourism is gaining importance globally, with research indicating that 80 percent of tourists now prefer eco-friendly travel options.
To capitalize on this trend, he stressed the importance of aligning Zanzibar’s tourism strategies with sustainable practices to continue attracting visitors.
He also noted that a one-day seminar held for administrators and policy-makers would play a crucial role in integrating sustainable tourism into government plans.
“This will help to align government priorities with our tourism, so various programs will be added, and it will help in preparing inclusive policies,” he said.
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Inside Tanzania’s Life-Saving Birthcare Model
Tanzania is winning the battle against maternal and newborn deaths, as the latest numbers reveal a significant decline.
“Tanzania is committed to reducing maternal and newborn mortality and ensuring safe deliveries as part of the national development plan. The Safer Births Bundle of Care is one of the key strategies supporting this effort,” said Dr. Benjamin Kamala, the Senior Research Scientist at Haydom Lutheran Hospital and Principal Investigator for the program, leading its implementation across five regions in Tanzania.
A groundbreaking study published in the New England Journal of Medicine shows that the innovative health program in Tanzania – centered on regular, on-the-job training for healthcare workers – reduced maternal deaths by 75% and early newborn deaths by 40%. The three-year study, conducted across 30 high-burden healthcare facilities in Tanzania, tracked approximately 300,000 mother-baby pairs under the Safer Births Bundle of Care (SBBC) programme. The programme focuses on improving care for mothers and babies during the day of birth, the critical time when a woman goes into labor and delivers her baby.
Maternal health is a key focus of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), specifically Target 3.1, which aims to reduce the global maternal mortality ratio to fewer than 70 deaths per 100,000 live births by 2030.
Tanzania’s program combines continuous, simulation-based training for frontline healthcare workers alongside innovative clinical tools to improve labour monitoring (fetal heart rate monitoring) and newborn resuscitation.It also uses data to drive ongoing improvements, ensuring that healthcare workers have the skills, confidence, and competence to manage birth-related complications for both mothers and newborns.
“We work closely with healthcare workers, equipping them with the necessary tools to improve the quality of care, ensuring they can effectively manage both mothers and babies during and after childbirth,” Dr. Kamala said, which helps them build on over a decade of innovative research and collaboration to improve care during childbirth.
“To give you a sense of the scale of the burden of maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania when the Safer Births Bundles of Care program was in early development in 2015/16, there were around 556 maternal deaths per 100,000 live births and 25 neonatal deaths per 1,000 live births,” he said.
The published study demonstrates the “transformative impact” of the Safer Births Bundle of Care program conducted across 30 hospitals in five high-burden regions of Tanzania, where there were about 300,000 mother-baby pairs.
Maternal deaths at the start of the program were recorded at 240 per 100,000 live births, with postpartum hemorrhage and hypertensive disorders being the leading causes of death, he said. Over the 24-month study period, this number dropped to approximately 60 per 100,000 live births, representing a 75% reduction. The number of newborn deaths – which are primarily due to breathing difficulties and complications related to prematurity – declined by 40% – from 7 deaths per 1,000 live births to 4 deaths per 1,000 live births.
“These results are remarkable,” Dr. Kamala said.
According to Dr. Kamala, the 75% reduction in maternal deaths was not expected, and a key lesson was the important role of the in-situ team simulations – including for postpartum bleeding – with reflective debriefings that trained facilitators led.
“This seems to be a major part of the success of the program,” he said. “We are delighted by these results and hope that other countries adopt and scale the Safer Births Bundle of Care program… Beyond the numbers, the Safer Births Bundle of Care program has fostered a dramatic culture shift in our healthcare system,” he said. “Healthcare workers are now more confident and better equipped to handle birth-related complications for both mothers and babies.”
Maternal death drop
Dr. Kamala attributed the 60-70% reduction in newborn deaths in Geita and Manyara to several factors.
“Firstly, Manyara was the first site for implementation, giving the region more time to adapt and experience the impact of the program. Most importantly, both regions had a high burden of stillbirths and neonatal deaths, making them ideal targets for focused intervention. As a result, newborn deaths decreased by 60-70%, showcasing a clear positive impact on newborn survival,” he said.
Dr. Kamala said another possible explanation is the differences in the culture of practices, where some health facilities reported inaccurate data due to the fear of blame and shame. However, with the project’s implementation, reporting became more accurate after mplementation. Some regions, such as Tabora, reported an increase in the number of referrals to the study hospitals from other care centers after the program was implemented. These were more likely to be late admissions, which increase the likelihood of poor health outcomes, he said.
After the implementation of the program, there was a 40% decrease in newborn deaths within the first 24 hours after birth, according to the study.
Dr. Kamala said Tanzania’s remarkable progress in reducing maternal mortality by 80% is driven by strategic investments and innovative programs focused on improving maternal and child survival rates.
“Over 2,000 new healthcare facilities have been developed, free health services are being provided to expectant mothers and children under the age of five, and emergency obstetric care – including better transport to hospitals in rural areas are helping to ensure timely, life-saving interventions.
“Most importantly, the Ministry of Health works in collaboration with healthcare workers, hospitals, and development partners to strengthen the skills of frontline healthcare workers, which has been a key factor in driving this progress.
“Political leadership, alongside strategic partnerships and financing, has been crucial in driving progress in maternal and newborn health,” he said.
The program was made possible by the support of the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children, and Adolescents, Norad, UNICEF, and Laerdal Global Health, as well as the Ministry of Health and Haydom Lutheran Hospital. Their partnership and investment enabled the scaling of the Safer Births Bundle of Care to 30 hospitals and supported the research. “The government has now scaled the program to over 150 sites, and there are plans for further expansion to three regions this year and then nationally,” he said.
Dr. Kamala outlined key policy recommendations for other governments can adopt to prioritize maternal health.
“Firstly, it focuses on cost-effective and relatively simple interventions that are essential to preventing maternal and newborn deaths. For example, stronger primary healthcare that is delivered in the community and a well-trained healthcare workforce are also critical. Additionally, working in close collaboration with national, regional, and local health authorities is key.”
He said Tanzania’s approach, where the Safer Births Bundle of Care program was successfully scaled and sustained by aligning the initiative with national guidelines for obstetrical and newborn care. In addition, the creation of mentorship programs and regular supervision has helped to sustain the results.
Looking ahead
Tanzania now plans to expand to three new regions in 2025, followed by a nationwide rollout.
The success of the program has attracted interest from other countries, with Botswana, Ethiopia, Lesotho, and Namibia expressing interest in adapting the program to their healthcare system. In Nigeria, the program has already been launched in two states, Gombe and Borno, marking a significant step in its scaling.
Source: allafrica.com
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