Disease Spectrum & Demand Gap

Over the past decade, impressive improvements have been made in the health status of Tanzania’s people. For example, there has been significant progress in reducing the infant and under-five mortality rates largely attributed to investments in malaria control and improvement in access to safe drinking water. Although the HIV/AIDS prevalence rate varies by region, nationally it stands at 5.1% in 2014, down from 5.7% in 2009. While these successes are laudable, chronic under-nutrition (stunting) and maternal mortality rates remain high[1].

Tanzania faces a generalized HIV/AIDS epidemic on the Mainland, a concentrated HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Zanzibar archipelago, and other widespread communicable diseases such as tuberculosis (TB), malaria, respiratory infections, and diarrheal diseases[2].

Source: “Burden of Disease, 2012”, WHO Country Profile of the United Republic of Tanzania[3]

Major public health problems in Zambia

1) HIV/AIDS: The major health challenge in Tanzania is the generalized HIV epidemic. Among the 1.4 million people living with HIV/AIDS, 70.5% are 25 to 49 years old, and 15% are 15–24 years. In young women ages 15 to 24, there is an HIV prevalence rate of 3.8%, which is significantly higher than the 2.8 percent prevalence rate among young men in the same age group. More than half of available hospital beds are occupied by HIV-infected persons.

2) Malaria: It exists throughout the year and is predominantly due to P. falciparum.

3) Maternal and child healthcare: The 2010 maternal mortality rate per 100,000 births for Tanzania is 790. This is compared with 449 in 2008 and 610.2 in 1990. The UN Child Mortality Report 2011 reports a decrease in under-five mortality from 155 per 1,000 live births in 1990 to 76 per 1,000 live births in 2010, and in neonatal mortality from 40 per 1,000 live births to 26 per 1,000 live births[4]. Malaria is the leading cause of death for Tanzanian children and is a major cause of maternal mortality. The impact of the HIV/AIDS epidemic is enormous. Each year an estimated 100,000 are newly infected and 86,000 die[5].

4) Occupational health: It is estimated that in mining/quarry, the injury rate is 17 per 1,000 workers whereas Industry sector is responsible for 10.1% of total occupational accidents, 9.6% of fatalities, 12.2% of partial disabilities and about 7.4% of temporary disability and the injury rate is 9.9 per 1,000 workers. Report from National Audit office (NAO) showed that construction/building industry had highest Fatality rate of 23.7% followed by Transport and mining/quarrying that had 20.6% and 20.5 respectively. Injuries in transport sector is another life-threatening risk that continues to claim lives of people especially motorcyclist and public transport (buses)[6].

[1] Country Development Cooperation Strategy October 3, 2014 – October 3, 2019, Tanzania’s Socio-Economic Transformation toward Middle Income Status by 2025 Advanced, USAID, pp.7-8.

[2] Tanzania Global Health Initiative Strategy 2010 -2015, p.6.

[3] http://www.who.int/gho/countries/tza.pdf?ua=1

[4] NAO report- Performance Audit Report on the Management of Occupational Health and Safety in Tanzania, National Audit Office of Tanzania, 2013.

[5] Country Development Cooperation Strategy October 3, 2014 – October 3, 2019, p.22.

[6] NAO report- Performance Audit Report on the Management of Occupational Health and Safety in Tanzania, 2013.