Stara Thomas, a well-known Tanzanian singer, is joining forces with the United Nations to advocate for safe motherhood.

"In our country there is joy; in our country there is peace; in our country there is hope, but we still need to protect the women and the children, because their health is our future," said Stara, a mother of two who has written and performed an anthem about promoting safe motherhood and infant health called 'Play your Part,' which has become a hit, the UN Population Fund (UNFPA) said in a news release.

"The song talks about how a pregnant woman's health is supposed to be taken care of by specialists in order to reduce the number of women and children dying during the delivery time," said the singer.

Tanzania's maternal mortality rate is 578 deaths per 100,000 live births; more than half of all pregnant women in the country deliver at home without a skilled birth attendant.

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