In the health sector, planning and resource allocation at country level are mainly guided by national plans. For each such plan, a
midterm review of progress is important for policy-makers since the review can inform the second half of the plan’s implementation and
provide a situation analysis on which the subsequent plan can be based. The review should include a comprehensive analysis using recent
data – from surveys, facility and administrative databases – and global health estimates. Any midterm analysis of progress is best conducted
by a team comprising representatives of government agencies, independent national institutions and global health organizations. Here
we present an example of such a review, done in 2013 in the United Republic of Tanzania. Compared to similar countries, the results of this
midterm review showed good progress in all health indicators except skilled birth attendance.