Health Issues in Tanzania
Dec 23, 2015
Health Issues in Tanzania
• Health is a huge problem for both adults and children in rural Africa.............
• .......1 in 10 children do not reach their 5th Birthday
Children- Biggest Killers• Malnutrition due to poverty
•Dehydration due to vomiting and diarrhoea
•Measles
•Pneumonia- Includes Acute Respiratory Infection and TB
•Transmission of HIV from mother to child
Adults- Biggest Killers• Malaria
• HIV and AIDS- 2.2 million people in Tanzania are living with HIV and AIDS: - Population of Musoma= 120,000
18,000 HIV+
• TB and Pneumonia (many sufferers will be HIV+)
• Problems in childbirth- 29% rural girls aged 15-19yrs have given birth/pregnant
Some Stories- BurnsHappiness and Joseph
-Many burns occur in villages due to open charcoal fires and hot water
-If left unattended these become infected and scar badly causing disabilities
....success stories
Success stories....
Dirty Water- Luca- 15yr Old boyLack of clean water made Luca very ill
He had:
1. Typhoid, 2. Intestinal
worm,3. Bilharzia, 4. Epilepsy and 5. Malaria
Success story- Luca- could play in the football tournament!
Before he met the team Luca slept with the chickens....
.....The team provided him with a mattress , a bed and medical care
Malaria and Dirty water-Wilson 15 yrs oldWilson had high temperature and swollen stomach
Cared for by his elderly BLIND grandmother
Had an enlarged spleen due to sickle cell anaemia. He had recurrent malaria, Bilharzia, Typhoid and Intestinal worms
The team provided him with a bednet, mesh on the windows to prevent malaria, medical care including blood transfusions, food and clean water
Wilson’s hospital
Wilson and the Team
Care for the Terminally Ill- Mkami – 38yrs old
-Very swollen abdomen due to cancer
-The team provided support with medicines, frequent hospital visits, a mattress and bed- to make her more comfortable, food, bed net, new clothing and a bible!
Providing clean water and adequate sanitation
WaterDirty water causes- - Diarrhoeal disease, (inadequate washing of cooking utensils and poor hygiene)-Cholera-Typhoid-Intestinal worms- Bilharzia -Hepatitis A
Water- Personal Hygiene
Trachoma (bacterial eye infection caused by flies which can lead to blindness)
Fungal infections
The F Diagram illustrating faecal to oral contamination
fluids
fields
flies
fingers
water quality
food new host
sanitation
faeces
hand washingwater quality
Schools
Impact of girls in education...Enables them to make informed choices about their
health.They get immunisations and health treatment for
themselves and their babies. Reduces child mortality as better informed about caring for themselves during
pregnancyCan earn20% more wages improving family nutrition and
health and therefore reducing poverty.They are more likely to avoid HIV . Studies show girls in secondary education are 3 times less likely to be HIV+
Higher chance of not being exploited and forces into early marriage
Educated girls are inclined to give birth to less children. For every 4 years additional education they have 1 less
pregnancy.
DFID 2011
Sanitation
School Toilet Block- Pit latrines
Sanitation stops the cycle of contamination from fields so the water tables are not polluted,and children in bare feet are more likely to carry infections from faeces into their homes.
Inadequate sanitation increases:1.Diarrhoeal diseases2.Spread of intestinal worms3. Lack of dignity and safety- especially for girls
How schools are affected by lack of clean water and inadequate sanitation...
• Children are required to collect water during class time for use at school
• This means they miss hours of lesson time each day• The water is needed to clean the toilets, and for drinking by
both teachers and pupils• The water collected is often contaminated causing water–
bourne diseases which impact their performance at school• Many pupils walk long distances and do not drink ALL day
until they go home in the evening • HALF of all girls drop out of school because of no water or
sanitation at school. • An ADDITIONAL 10% of girls of puberty age do not attend
school during mensturation
Providing schools with clean water, sanitation and hygiene education .....
• It improves Children‘s learning and school experience : They concentrate better, miss less school , spend more time learning and it increases dignity and safety
New Projects• Working with the Swiss Charity ‘CARITAS’
building water tanks and pit latrines for schools and learning widely accepted health education techniques……
Annatina and Hezbon
A 15,000 litre water tank for Mkono school
Training community health workers in remote villages
Lots of healthy children in our village