The President of Tanzania, Samia Suluhu Hassan, is concerned about the high birth rate in the East African country and has asked her people to practise birth control.
Over the weekend, President Samia visited the western province of Geita, where she was forced to face the country’s baby boom.
”Yesterday I was told in Buselesele ward in Geita region, one (health) centre produces 1,000 children a month
“Now how many classes will be needed after three years? What of health centres – how many will be needed to serve all these children? How many tonnes of food will be needed? Let’s reduce the speed and have a control on this,” the president stressed.
Her stand is different from that of her predecessor, the late John Magufuli, who actively advocated against women using birth control. Former President John Magufuli called contraceptive users “lazy” at a rally in Tanzania’s western region in 2018. He also declared in 2016 that “Women can throw away their contraceptives. Education is now free.”
As of 2020, the World Bank predicts that Tanzania’s fertility rate will be 4.8 children per woman. Marriages at a young age and low contraception use were blamed for the high birth rate.