When you have questions about your health, who do you ask? Many of us trust our doctors for health information, but what if you cannot wait for an appointment? A new platform is placing important health information at the fingertips of Tanzanians. The platform, called TanzMED, is designed to provide access to healthcare information and knowledge that is tailored specifically to Tanzanians.
TanzMED is currently available as a website and a mobile application. The TanzMED App is currently available in Android and can be accessed through the Google Play Store. The website provides the same information as the mobile application and can be accessed at www.tanzmed.co.tz
Speaking at the press launch in Dar es Salaam, TanzMED co-founder Mr. Mkata Nyoni said, “TanzMED’s main objective is to ensure that our community can benefit from the growth of internet network, as they are able to receive healthcare information wherever they are.” He also noted, “We have decided to launch this platform to ensure that communities have a broader understanding of health issues by providing them with quality information that can be accessed easily.”
TanzMED enables the community to read articles written by professional doctors. The articles are available both online or offline when downloaded through the mobile application. The platform also provides users with a list of nearby health centres. The list includes the services offered by those centres, and whether the centers accept health insurance.
TanzMED also offers helpful tools. For example, the platform enables women and girls to track their menstrual cycle and can send a message to their phone when they approach their menstruation days. These timely reminders help women and girls better manage their menstruation.
Explaining more about TanzMED’s achievements, Mr. Nyoni shared that more than 700 people visit the platform each day. He noted that most of the visitors are in the age group of 25-34 years, followed by the group 18-24 years. Women made up 46% of TanzMED visitors. These statistics show that access to health information is important for both men and women making decisions about their own health and healthcare.
“We wouldn’t have reached this far without the support from Data for Local Impact Innovation Challenge (DLIIC), without forgetting MCC and PEPFAR for giving us a grant to implement this project,” noted Mr. Nyoni. He added, “DLIIC doesn’t just give you a grant, but they also make sure you have the technical ability to implement your idea. They offer you technical support by giving a mentor who will be coaching you and guiding you through the implementation of your project.”
You can learn more about TanzMED by visiting Mr. Mkata Nyoni’s profile here.
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