| Providing
Quality Reproductive Health in Tanzania With
35 million people in 2002, Tanzania has the largest
population in East Africa. Furthermore, its population
is growing at close to 3% per year, a rate that if maintained
would double the country's population in one generation.
Tanzania is also one of the poorest countries in Africa,
with an average per capita Gross Domestic Product of
just $478 per year. In other words, the majority of
people subsist on less than two dollars per day. The
country registers 99infant deaths per 1,000 live births
and maternal mortality rates remain high. Close to one
quarter of all births are unplanned and 40% of women
remain in dire need of reproductive health services.
But the worst trend is the rising rate of HIV infections
among young people. Although youth comprise one-fifth
of the entire population, the age group 15-24 accounts
for two-thirds of all new HIV infections. The project has five main objectives:
- To
strengthen the national coalition of government agencies
and NGOs and their commitment to providing quality
sexual and reproductive health care.
- To
seek commitment and support from national and international
organizations and identify sources of funding for
phase II.
- To
assess existing knowledge regarding the quality of
sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care, with a
focus on demand issues influencing the provision of
SRH care.
- To
establish community-based initiatives that empower
clients, ensure their rights and enable them to work
with providers in improving the quality of reproductive
and sexual health care offered.
- To
support providers in their efforts at improving the
quality of service delivery.
Pilot
activities are being planned in both the Tanzania mainland
and the semi-autonomous island of Zanzibar. The project's
main activities include:
- Disseminating
information and building support for the project at
national, district and community levels.
- Developing
a comprehensive fundraising strategy.
- Reviewing
and synthesizing programmes and policies regarding
the quality of RSH care with a special focus on the
health sector reform process.
- Conducting
an assessment of quality of care gaps at the national
level and in pilot project sites.
- Disseminating
best practices and lessons learned from pilot projects
- Identifying
community-based groups or organizations to work as
partners.
- Planning
and conducting training on SRH awareness.
- Sensitizing
local leaders and relevant stakeholders about sexual
and reproductive health, rights and quality of care
issues.
- Identifying
provider groups and assessing their willingness to
participate in a quality of care initiative.
- Undertaking
a needs assessment of providers and determining gaps
in service provision.
- Conducting
training sessions.
|
