On the 9th February, 20 Bridge2Aid volunteers will be arriving in Tanzania to train 12 rural health workers (Clinical Officers) in emergency dental treatment.
The training team will be travelling to two districts in the northern lake zone of Tanzania. Nyang’hwale and Tarime Rural.
Nyang’hwale is one of 5 districts comprising Geita region and home to the Sukuma tribe. Nyang’hwale is a new district formed recently when Geita district was split into two. Nyang’hwale district has a relatively small population of 148,320 (census 2012) of which the majority (80%) of the population live in the rural areas, nearly all of the population (98%) are peasants and subsistence livestock keepers for whom their estimated annual per capita income is USD 100.
In terms of health provision in the rural areas of the district, there are 16 rural health facilities of which six have B2A trained Clinical Officers, though there is no regional hospital in the region so all patients are referred to Bugando hospital in Mwanza city (just over an hour’s drive away). Generally in Geita region, health services and facilities are limited, it is estimated that only half the health personnel roles are currently filled. There is a challenge generally with medicine and equipment procurement into the region. and those health facilities that are available are in a bad state of disrepair.
Tarime rural district is one of 7 districts forming Mara region home to the Wakurya, Wajaluo and Wajita tribes. Mara region borders both Kenya and Uganda. Tarime district itself is home to 339,693 people (2012 census) of whom 90% live in the rural areas the other 10% of people living in the urban areas. The majority of people in the region depend on crop production, livestock and fishing for their livelihoods. The region was at the bottom in terms of food poverty. Some 36% of all households in the region live under the food poverty line.
In Tarime rural district, there are 34 Rural Health Facilities, 6 of which have B2A-trained Clinical Officers. The regional hospital in the region is based near Musoma town which is a three hour drive away.
