Focus on communicable diseases
International staff: 14
National staff: 76
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MSF's work in United Republic of Tanzania focuses on
communicable diseases such as cholera and malaria. The
medical teams work closely with local health facilities to
prepare for and respond to disease outbreaks, supervising
pharmacies and training local health workers. Related
activities include advocating for effective malaria medicines
and a change in protocol at the national level; and expanding
access to clean water to prevent cholera and other
diarrheal diseases.
In January 2002, MSF responded to an outbreak of cholera
in Zanzibar, treating 585 patients, and provided support
to fight smaller outbreaks in several other parts of the
country, including Kigoma, Pwani, Lindi and Mtwara.
Education and community awareness are an important
aspect of MSF's work in Tanzania. As part of the program
in Kigoma, MSF works with local singing, dancing and
drama groups to spread information about malaria, and
prepares public service messages for radio broadcast.
In addition to providing safe sources of water, MSF uses
a participatory approach to raise community awareness
about health and sanitation. To prevent the spread of
cholera, it distributed health posters to villages targeted
in the cholera preparedness project. New districts have been
identified for the next phase of the program, where health
workers will be trained in cholera management.
MSF also continues to support a program focused on
mother-and-child health in Mtwara, including rehabilitation
of 33 health facilities.
MSF has been working in United Republic of Tanzania
since 1993.
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