Tanzanian authorities said on Thursday they have received 66 million U.S. dollars from the World Bank for upgrading at least 100 health centers across the east African country.
Hamisi Kigwangala, the Deputy Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, told parliament in the political capital Dodoma that the support will enable health personnel to offer antenatal operations.
Kigwangala added that the funding will be channeled through the office of the President responsible for Regional Administration and Local Government.
"It is on the same note that the government has distributed a total of 60,000 delivery packs in six different regions in the country," Kigwangala told the House.
He added: "The government has started disbursing the money to all targeted districts in the country in efforts to boost provision of health services."
Kigwangala said the distributed delivery packs included cotton, pads, surgical gloves and other basic necessities.
He said the World Bank funding will be complimented by the Comprehensive Council Health Plan (CCHP) which was being used by district authorities to distribute key antenatal facilities in delivery packs.
Kigwangala said the CCHP required each district to use its own sources to construct theaters for performing antenatal operations to reduce maternity mortality rates in the country.