The Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) for Africa, Prof. Mohamed Janabi, representing the Director-General of the Organization, Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, has inaugurated a special modern building for caring for newborns, especially those born prematurely (preterm), at Kwimba District Hospital in Mwanza region on February 28, 2026, a move aimed at improving maternal and child health services in the region.
The building was built with funding from the Doris Mollel Foundation (DMF) in collaboration with Keep a Child Alive (KCA), with the aim of reducing infant mortality and improving the environment for providing care to premature babies, while supporting government efforts to strengthen the health sector.
Speaking at the launch event, Prof. Janabi said the investment reflects the sincere commitment of development stakeholders to ensure that premature babies receive quality, safe and international-standard care.
She stressed that strengthening neonatal care is the foundation for building a healthy generation and reducing preventable deaths.
The Executive Director of the Doris Mollel Foundation, Doris Mollel, said that since the establishment of the institution in 2015, it has undergone major transformations with the aim of supporting premature babies in the country.
She explained that through strategic partnerships with the government and international donors, the institution has succeeded in influencing legal changes regarding parental leave and facilitating the availability of national funding for the purchase of modern medical equipment for newborns.
Ms. Mollel noted that the construction of a special neonatal care unit (Neonatal Care Unit) is an important step in that journey, emphasizing that the building has been designed based on direct feedback from mothers in the area to ensure that it meets their practical and even spiritual needs.
She added that the project is the result of collaboration between the government, development partners and the community.
