Launched in April 2015, the Afya Bora ya Mama na Mtoto Project (Accelerating Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health in Zanzibar) is a joint UNFPA-UNICEF programme supported by Global Affairs Canada in partnership with  the Ministry of Health Zanzibar to improve maternal and child health outcomes.

The shortage of human resources for health in Zanzibar, alongside a high demand for maternity services, requires innovative approaches.  One such approach is the Mentorship Programme that has been introduced for the first time under the project to improve the skills of mid-level staff to address life-threatening obstetric complications.