Resource Type: Report
Authors: Stephen Musau, Grace Chee, Rebecca Patsika, Emmanuel Malangalila, Dereck Chitama, Eric Van Praag, and Greta Schettler
Published: 7/1/2011

Resource Description:

The Tanzania Health Systems Assessment (HSA) was conducted in July/August 2010 to examine the health system as a whole, to identify major strengths and weaknesses, and to recommend potential areas for system strengthening. Strengthening the health system is globally acknowledged as essential to any country‟s ability to achieve the health MDGs.

Tanzania’s health system is complex and works in an environment of very limited financial and human resources. The ongoing process of Decentralization by Devolution (D by D) adds a layer of complexity that stretches the managerial ability of staff to coordinate across different ministries and fulfill their roles within the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) and Prime Minister‟s Office-Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG) structures. The political will for improvement of the health system is evident but implementation is often weak, arising in part from poor communication between the different levels of the system, lack of leadership and management skills and the imbalances between well-resourced vertical programs (e.g., HIV/AIDS) and the rest of the health system. It is within this context that this HSA tries to identify the critical cross-cutting constraints that can feed into current and future health systems strengthening initiatives.