Prime Minister Stephen Harper announced a $105-million contribution to improve the health of children in Africa as he arrived in Tanzania Monday morning.

The Canadian-led project, Initiative to Save a Million Lives, will train 40,000 health workers and provide treatment for ailments from measles to malaria, with a focus on children and mothers.

The donation marks one-fifth of the cost of the $500-million project.

Other partners in the project include Microsoft founder Bill Gates, UNICEF, the World Health Organization, the World Bank and several other countries, including Norway.

Harper made the announcement after a luncheon with Tanzanian President Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.

"Once fully implemented, the initiative will save over 500 children's lives daily," he said. "Canada has the lead role."

Earlier, Harper was greeted at an airport by hundreds of dancers, musicians and soldiers on parade.

He then toured an elementary school classroom nearby where they sang for him and recited the names of animals in English.

Tanzania is one of Africa's most well-established democracies, but also one of its poorest. Since 1960, it has received more than $1 billion in Canadian aid money.

"One of the reasons the Prime Minister's Office says that Harper came here was to reward in a way that continued stability and good governance and really highlight the importance of that among developing countries," said CBC's James Cudmore, reporting from Dar es Salaam.

Harper's one-day visit to Tanzania is the last leg of his trip to Africa and follows the wrap-up of this year's Commonwealth summit in neighbouring Uganda.

With files from the Canadian Press