Tanzanian President Samia Suluhu Hassan has voiced concern over the country’s high birth rate and asked citizens to practise birth control.
It is a significant shift from her predecessor, the late John Magufuli, who openly pushed women not to use contraception.
President Samia confronted the country’s baby boom over the weekend while visiting the western region of Geita.
”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 control of this,” urged the president.
In 2018, while at a rally in the west of Tanzania, former President Magufuli described those who use contraceptives as lazy.
And in 2016, after the launch of free primary and secondary education in the country, he said: “Women can throw away their contraceptives. Education is now free.”
The World Bank estimates Tanzania’s fertility rate at 4.8 births per woman as at 2020. The high birth rate was attributed to early marriages and low contraceptive use.
Tanzania has a population of around 60 million people, with 49% of them living on less than $2 (£1.50) a day.