GIZ PLEDGES INCREASED SUPPORT TO HEALTH SECTOR IN TANZANIA

 BY GRACE MACHA IN ARUSHA

The German International Cooperation Agency, GIZ, has pledged increased support to the health sector in Tanzania.

This will include capacity building programmes on managers at district level and health facilities across the country.

The pledge was made in Arusha last week by an official of the organization at the end of a training workshop on health management. 

The two week exercise targeted health care staff from the eleven councils and 20 health facilities -hospitals and health centres - from Tanga region.

"We will support the Tanzania government in the endeavour, particularly in training", said Mr. Erick Msoffe, the deputy manager of one of the health programmes.

He said the dynamic and evolving health care landscape in Tanzania demands innovative and adaptive leadership and management practices.

"Capacity building of local experts is the central priority", added Mr. Msoffe who is the deputy programme manager of the Improving Health Care Provision Programme in Tanzania.

A total of 43 health practitioners were trained on health management, leadership and governance that integrated research and best practices.

The course was held at the Centre for Educational Development in Health Arusha (CEDHA), a zonal training facility committed to advancing health care systems.

"Through the training we have empowered health professionals with the necessary skills to drive positive change and improve healthcare services", he said.

The participants were exposed to concepts, practical applications and equipped with the tools "needed to tackle the complex challenges faced by healthcare institutions today".

Closing the training, the Tanga Regional Medical Officer Dr. Japhet Simeo said the region should be a model for other regions "to visit and learn".

He stressed the need  to transform the skills acquired from such capacity building stints to improve management and provision of healthcare services.

Dr. Simeo added that leadership in the health sector institutions demanded a high degree of diligence,commitment and dialogue among the stakeholders.

On his part,CEDHA director Dr. Johannes Lukumay said the training has come at a time of the government's increased investment in the sector.

In less than a decade, the number of district hospitals has not only more than doubled from 77 to 188 while facilities at the government-run medical centres have been revamped. 

Also during the period, 750 new health centres were constructed, of which 552 are offering specialized surgical services.