Tanzania

Background

Tanzania is one of the most politically stable countries in Africa, and the country has shown significant economic growth in recent years. Despite this hopeful progress, the fight against poverty is still a major challenge. World Bank data indicates that over 33% of Tanzanians live below the poverty line.

Where there's poverty, disease is often close behind. A large number of people lack access to safe drinking water and health care services. Rapid population growth is another major challenge to poverty reduction, and it puts additional strain on already inadequate services such as clean water, education and health care.

As Tanzania continues to develop economically, knowledgeable and caring partners are needed to ensure that the development of the health care infrastructure keeps pace and serves the critical needs of its people.

Our Office

IMA established a field office in Dar es Salaam in 1997—its first international field office—to oversee its now-closed Onchocerciasis (river blindness) treatment program.

The office has since expanded to accommodate IMA's growing role in fighting disease and supporting health care in Tanzania.

Our Work in Tanzania

Fight Disease

• IMA provides the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) with financial and technical support to implement a five disease integrated Neglected Tropical Disease program. The targeted diseases include: Onchocerciasis, Lymphatic Filariasis, Schistosomiasis, Soil-transmitted Helminthes and Trachoma.
• Since 2008, IMA has provided technical assistance to the USAID-funded Malaria Communities Program. The goal is to increase the use of an effective course of malaria prevention and treatment activities among pregnant women and children in 160 villages.
• IMA has since 2004 provided site management and other critical support for the AIDSRelief program funded by the President's Emergency Plan for Aids Relief (PEPFAR).
• Since 2000, IMA has partnered with the Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Tanzania to fight Burkitt's Lymphoma (BL), an aggressive childhood cancer.

Health Information Systems (What is this?)

• Since 2009, IMA has provided technical assistance for the USAID-funded Tanzania Human Resources for Health Capacity Project to the Christian Social Services Commission.
• Since 2008, IMA has provided monitoring and evaluation (M&E) support to the USAID-funded Malaria Communities Program with the goal of increasing the use of preventive chemotherapy, prophylaxis and nets to people living in the southern regions of Tanzania.