United Republic of Tanzania KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1961 Population: 49,253,000 (2013) GDP p.c. growth: 6.68% p.a. 1990–2013 GNI p.c.: US$630 (2013) UN HDI 2014: World ranking 159 Life expectancy: 62 years (2013) Under-five mortality rate (per 1,000 live births): 52 (2013) Largest contribution to mortality: HIV/AIDS Government health expenditure: 2.8% of GDP (2012) General information The United Republic of Tanzania borders the Indian Ocean to the east, and has land borders with eight countries: (anti-clockwise from the north) Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi, the Democratic Republic of Congo (across Lake Tanganyika), Zambia, Malawi and Mozambique. The country includes Zanzibar (consisting of the main island Unguja, plus Pemba and other smaller islands). 292 Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015 Climate: Varies with geographical zones: tropical on the coast, where it is hot and humid (rainy season March–May); semitemperate in the mountains (with the Short Rains in November–December and the Long Rains in February–May); and drier in the plateau region with considerable seasonal variations in temperature. Environment: The most significant environmental issues are drought, soil degradation, deforestation, desertification and destruction of coral reefs. Population: 49,253,000 (2013); 30 per cent of people live in urban areas and seven per cent in urban agglomerations of more than a million people. The population growth rate stood at 2.9 per cent p.a. between the years of 1990 and 2013. In 2013 the birth rate was 39 per 1,000 people (48 in 1970) and life expectancy was 62 years (47 in 1970 and 51 in 1990). Most of the people are of Bantu origin, with some 120 ethnic groups on the mainland, none of which exceeds ten per cent of the population. The biggest group is the Sukuma; others include Nyamwezi, Maasai, Haya Gogo, Chagga, Nyaliyusa and Hehe. The population also includes Asian and expatriate minorities. The people of Zanzibar are of Bantu, Persian and Arab origin. Economy: Tanzania is classified as a low-income economy by the World Bank. Health Child and maternal health: Infant mortality in Tanzania was 36 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013, with an under-five mortality rate of 52 deaths per 1,000 live births in 2013. There has been a consistent decline in the under-five mortality rate since 1996. The under-five mortality rate has now surpassed the country’s target of 56 deaths per 1,000 live births as defined by Millennium Development Goal 4 (MDG 4). In 2010 the three most prominent known causes of death for children below the age of five years were acute respiratory infections (15 per cent), intrapartum-related complications (14 per cent) and prematurity (11 per cent). Other contributory causes were neonatal sepsis (eight per cent), diarrhoea (eight per cent), HIV/AIDS (six per cent) and congenital anomalies (seven per cent). In 2013 Tanzania had an adjusted maternal mortality ratio of 410 deaths per 100,000 live births. Burden of disease: Communicable diseases along with maternal, perinatal and nutritional conditions accounted for an estimated 58 per cent of all mortality in Tanzania in 2012. The prevalence of HIV in Tanzania, as a percentage of people aged 15–49 years, stood at five per cent in 2013. The period 1990–96 saw a great increase in HIV prevalence, following which the rate decreased to six per cent in 2007, remaining above the 1990 prevalence of five per cent. The number confirmed cases of malaria increased dramatically in 2003, before decreasing significantly for the years 2008 and 2009, the
Commonwealth Health Partnerships 2015
To see the actual publication please follow the link above