DAR ES SALAAM, March 20 (Xinhua) -- The government of Tanzania on Tuesday launched a national strategy aimed at improving Tanzanians' access to safe, affordable and timely surgery, anesthesia and obstetric services by 2025.

Mpoki Ulisubisya, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, launched the strategy in the commercial capital Dar es Salaam, saying: "Surgery, anesthesia and obstetrics care saves lives and prevents disability."

He said for too long, surgery, anesthesia and obstetrics care in Tanzania have been a neglected part of public health.

The disability caused by surgical disease is holding back the country's economic productivity as investment in surgery has over and again been shown to be a cost-effective health intervention. Investment in surgery returns young working people to health and helps improve health services at all levels of the health system, said the official.

"In Tanzania, 17 percent of the burden of disease and 19 percent of deaths are due to surgical disease," said Ulisubisya, adding "we believe access to safe surgical care is a core part of our health system."

Ummy Mwalimu, the Minister for Health, said Tanzania was committed to improving surgical provision by developing and implementing a national surgical, obstetric and anesthesia plan.

Ulisubisya said the plan was developed by the Ministry of Health and the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Governments with financial support from Harvard Program in Global Surgery and SafeSurgery 2020.

Ulisubisya added that the plan was also a collaboration of over 200 stakeholders, including the Tanzania Surgical Association (TSA), the Association of Gynecologists and Obstetricians of Tanzania, the Society of Anesthesiologists of Tanzania, the Medical Association of Tanzania and the Tanzania Nursing Association.