Closer Care, Safer Births: Transforming Lives One Delivery at a Time

20 April 2026: Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania. At Yombo Vocational Rehabilitation Training Center Dispensary, Nurse Thureiya Mohamed begins her day attending to both students and members of the surrounding community. She moves seamlessly between the Outpatient Department (OPD), Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) services, the laboratory, and the Care and Treatment Clinic. On a typical day in OPD alone, she sees between 20 and 30 patients, each with different needs.

“The students and the community rely on us,” Thureiya explains, glancing at the busy waiting area. “Some come for vaccinations, some for medical check-ups, and others simply need advice. Every patient matters.”

In RCH, she carefully weighs children, administers vaccines, and supports outreach efforts that bring Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) vaccinations to adolescent girls in schools and across the community.

“It can get hectic,” she admits, “but seeing a healthy child gives you a sense of accomplishment that nothing else can replace.”

Her work has become both easier and safer thanks to recent support from UNFPA and Embassy of Sweden.

“The new vaccine fridge has been a game-changer,” she says. “Before, when the electricity went off, we worried about vaccines losing their effectiveness. If the fridge stopped, vaccines could be compromised and had to be discarded. Now, with solar panels keeping the fridge running even during power outages, we are confident that every child receives effective protection.”

Small tools can make a big difference, and the new weighing scale is one such example. “For children under five, monitoring growth is critical,” Thureiya notes. “Now we can do it accurately and quickly. It may seem like a small improvement, but it allows us to better track children’s health and provide timely support to both mother and child.”

Other additions have further strengthened service delivery. Digital medical monitors and Hemocue machines mean fewer referrals to other facilities. “Previously, we had to send patients elsewhere for certain tests. Now we can provide those services here, on the spot. It saves time, reduces stress, and improves follow-up care,” she explains.

Yet, even with these upgrades, Thureiya envisions more. “We really need a labour ward,” she says. “If women could deliver safely here instead of traveling long distances, it would transform lives. That is the next step in ensuring the community receives the care it deserves.”

For Thureiya Mohamed, the impact of UNFPA’s support, made possible through funding from Sweden, goes beyond equipment. It is about empowering health workers with the tools to save lives, strengthening their confidence to deliver quality care, and reassuring the families who depend on the dispensary every day.

“We are grateful,” she says with a smile. “These tools help us do our work better, and that means healthier children and safer mothers. That is the heart of what we do.”

Procured through Swedish funding, this equipment aims to strengthen maternal health and sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) services for the Yombo Vocational Training Centre and its surrounding community. The initiative is set to support over 16,000 residents across the Yombo, Kiwalani, and Minazi Mirefu wards, specifically benefiting 260 currently enrolled youth—comprising 220 young women and 40 young men.