Access to quality health care and information

Home / Access to quality health care and information
June 7, 2016May 15, 2017

$0

Campaign Target

2

Donations
Donated
0% $0 to go

Problem Statement

The Government of Tanzania has made significant efforts, through public and private providers, to deliver primary healthcare services to its citizens.

There are approximately 6,549 dispensaries, 718 health facilities and 252 Public and Private Hospitals throughout the country (Tanzania in Figures 2015, www.nbs.go.tz). However, limited access to health infrastructure (including trained healthcare workers, inpatient hospital care, and information on available services) is one of the challenges that still compromise the quality of public health services. Thus, although most Tanzanians have access to basic health care services, they struggle to access specialised or emergency care services. Tanzanians in rural communities – pregnant women in particular – face difficulties in finding transport to reach health facilities that are far from their households.

Evidence gathered by the 2015-16 Tanzania Demographic and Health Survey and Malaria Indicator Survey shows that access to health services is further limited by poverty levels, ethnicity, and location. The figure below illustrates responses from the 2010 Tanzanian Demographic and Health Survey of the problems associated with accessing healthcare services (http://www.nbs.go.tz/nbs/takwimu/dhs/2015-16_TDHS-MIS.pdf).

These problems are more often reported by women who are poor, who live in rural areas, older women, women with no education, and women who are divorced, separated or widowed.

Challenge Theme

Design innovative solutions, processes, and/or tools that leverage available open data, such as the Health Facilities Registry, to strengthen linkages between health facilities and community structures and to enable better access among people in rural communities to available health services, resources and products