(c) The right to life, survival and development (Article 5)
39. Article 14 of the State Party’s Constitution upholds the standard that every person has an inherent
right to life. The URT progressively ensures, to the maximum extent possible, the survival, protection and
development of the child.
40. As far as Child survival is concerned - the State Party has made progress. Initially the Committee
had raised the issue of Child and Infant Mortality Rates. The Committee observed that although data obtained
from the Poverty and Human Development Report 2005 suggests that almost 100% of the urban population
and close to three quarters of the rural population live within five kilometers of a health center or dispensary,
this fact is, in practical terms, unrealistic. That can only be achieved if health centers and/or dispensaries are
established in each and every ward just as it has been the case for secondary schools.
41. The State has put in place several measures to stop gross violations of the right to life, survival
and development of children with albinism (CWAs), including the adoption of the National Human Rights
Action Plan (2013 – 2017) through the Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs, which addresses, inter
alia, issues of the rights of CWAs. Other measures include:
(a) A manual on early identification of children with disability is in the final stage of preparation;
(b) Undertaking efforts to identify people with disability by age, Gender and location through
National Population and Housing Census of the year 2012;
(c) In collaboration with CSOs, adoption of a strategy to raise awareness to the most affected
regions;
(d) Annual crime report 2012 reported on the number of crimes against people with disabilities;
(e) Three incidents of CWAs reported at Police Station in the year 2012 to 2014. All cases are under
investigation stage; and
(f) Speed up investigation and prosecution of PWA related cases i.e High Court Sessions conducted
in Kahama and Shinyanga Regions in 2013 – 2014 specifically on PWA cases;
(g) CHRAGG has undertaken to follow up on living conditions of CWAs; and
(h) The Ministry of Constitutional and Legal Affairs has raised public awareness on prevention and
protection of PWA through radio, television, etc.
42. Immunisation Coverage: The specific MKUKUTA indicator for immunisation is the coverage of
the diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus and hepatitis B (DPT-Hb3) vaccine. According to the World Health
Organisation (WHO), a child is considered fully vaccinated if he or she has received a Bacillus Calmette
Guerin (BCG) vaccination against tuberculosis, three doses of DPT vaccine to prevent diphtheria, pertussis
and tetanus, at least three doses of polio vaccine, and one dose of measles vaccine. These vaccinations should
be received during the first year of life (CHAPTER I CLUSTER II GOAL 2). Infant and Under-five Mortality
Rates Results from the TDHS 2010 indicate substantial declines in infant and under-five mortality over the
past 10 years. Figure 32 shows that under-five mortality rates have dropped by 45%, from 147 deaths per
1,000 births in 1999 to 81 deaths per 1,000 births in 2010 (PHDR 2011). In 2012 the infant mortality rate was
recorded at 6/1000 for under-fives. The MKUKUTA target for 2010 was 79. The infant mortality rate
decreased from 99 to 51 deaths per 1,000 births over the same period, again only marginally missing the
MKUKUTA target of 50. The largest decline is observed in post-neonatal mortality rate, which dropped from
36 deaths per 1,000 live births in TDHS 2004/05 to 25 deaths per 1,000 live births.
43. The 2010 TDHS collected information on the coverage for these vaccinations among children
born in the five years preceding the survey. The data indicate an increase in vaccination coverage from 71%
of children aged 12-23 months fully immunized in 2004/05 to 75% in 2010. Only 2% of children have not
received any vaccination. Looking at coverage for specific vaccines, 95% of children have received the BCG
vaccination, 96% the first DPT dose and 97% the first polio dose (Polio 1). Coverage declined for subsequent
doses; 88% of children received the recommended three doses of DPT and 85% received all three doses of
polio. Therefore, dropout rates – i.e., the proportion of children who receive the first dose of a vaccine but do
18