Tanzanian Ministry of Health will work closely with PharmAccess on quality health improvement

Program Director Quality Nicole Spieker gives a presentation on the quality concept of SafeCare

One of the important questions of the 1st National Quality Improvement Forum Tanzania,  held on 16-18 November in Dar es Salaam, was how to achieve quality health service despite resource restricted settings. According to the Head of the Health Inspectorate Dr. Ngonyani, part of the answer lies in using the knowledge and expertise of PharmAccess and SafeCare. Dr. Ngonyani stated that “the Ministry of Health now works closely together with PharmAccess on a proposal to establish stepwise certification towards accreditation for Tanzanian health services.” He added that in the coming weeks the proposal would be reviewed for approval by the Ministry of Health top management, after which implementation will start.

PharmAccess and SafeCare, both present at the forum, are active players in Tanzania aiming to build sustainable health systems and applying innovative financing mechanisms, with a focus on the private health sector. Their value in strengthening the quality of the private sector has been acknowledged in the Tanzania Quality Improvement Framework in Health Care 2011 -2016. The first copies of the framework were handed out at the meeting by guest of honor the Chief Medical Officer of the Ministry of Health, Dr. Deo Mtasiwa.

The proposal to assist the Tanzanian Government to establish a stepwise certification system is however a new and  important step for PharmAccess and SafeCare. According to Nicole Spieker, Program Director Quality of PharmAccess, this new step reflects the goal of the organizations: “Besides the actual implementation of SafeCare’s  stepwise quality improvement program an important goal of SafeCare is building capacity of certification and accreditation programs on the national level. In addition, PharmAccess has been working in Tanzania for over ten years and has gained vast experience in the healthcare environment of the country.”  SafeCare and PharmAccess will use their know-how, methodology and experience to assist and advise governments in the implementation of national quality improvement programs. The development is a logical next step from the active involvement of PharmAccess in the monitoring and implementation of the national AIDS program.

The forum
This high level forum was organized by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare of Tanzania, with technical assistance from PharmAccess and other partners involved in quality improvement. The main objective was to bring together all initiatives and implementers who are carrying out quality improvement activities in the country as well as guests from Ruanda, Uganda, Kenya  to share practice, experience, successes and failures.

The conference had mainly plenary presentations. In between other abstracts were presented as posters. PharmAccess was well represented throughout. There were oral presentations on different PharmAccess programs in Tanzania, such as HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment program of the Tanzania Peoples Defense Forces, presented by Dr. Mwanjela and the national HIV/AIDS Care and Treatment  Program funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, presented by Peter Rissha. Nicole Spieker held a presentation on SafeCare.

Earlier that week, the first four SafeCare certificates were rewarded to health facilities participating in the Medical Credit Fund, an event well covered by television and newspaper.

Click here to read more on the 1st National Quality Improvement Forum Tanzania

Click here for press article on SafeCafe in the Tanzanian newspaper the Guardian.