Problem Statement
According to Tanzania’s Health Sector Strategy Paper 2009-2015 (HSSP III), Human Resources for Health (HRH) are a priority to improving accessibility and quality of health services.
- Facilities on average were staffed with 13.1 health workers. Urban facilities had more staff (24.5 providers) compared to rural facilities (6.0 providers). Public facilities had fewer staff members than their private counterparts.
- Over half (55%) of health workers were nurses. Although only 10% of Tanzania’s population lived in Dar es Salaam, the city was home to 45% of all doctors. In contrast, 70% of the population and 85% of the poor lived in rural areas but they were served by only 28% of the country’s health workforce, and a mere 9% of its doctors. These stark service delivery inequalities are likely to translate and even reinforce welfare inequality (Source : Service Delivery Indicators, http://www.sdindicators.org/tanzania-health)
Access to medical specialists is an additional challenge. The problem is aggravated by inefficient processes; it is common for patients to be referred to a specialist without adequate information about their condition, a prior examination, or clear questions for the specialty consultant. Such poorly organised referrals result in adverse consequences for the Tanzania health delivery system including risk of stock outs and an uneven doctor-to-patient ratio due to an influx of patients in specific hospitals.
Challenge Theme
Design solutions, processes and/or tools – or expand on existing tools and services – that use available open data (such as the Health Facilities Registry) alone or in combination with other data, to promote social accountability monitoring and active participation of citizens in providing feedback on health service quality and provider performance.