DPG Health is committed to supporting the government in effective implementation of the Health Sector Strategic Plan IV (HSSP IV 2015-2020) through refining modalities of financing the health sector at national level, implementation of a universal health insurance access and rolling out of financing directly to health facilities to ensure achievement of the HSSP IV slogan “Reaching all Households with Quality Health Care”.
Dr. Thomas Teuscher, Head of Health Domain at the Embassy of Switzerland and a seasoned public health expert, chairs the development group. His extensive experience and wide network within the Tanzanian health care system are invaluable in ensuring that Switzerland’s contribution to the health agenda in Tanzania is meaningful and effective. In this role, he also collaborates closely with co-chairs, Ireland and Germany, and the DPG Health Secretariat hosted by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
In September 2016, the DPG Health Chair participated in the Joint Annual Health Sector Review (JAHSR) field visit which aimed at fostering mutually-beneficial interaction between health stakeholders at national, regional, district and community levels. The objective of the annual theme, Monitoring and Evaluation, was to appraise validity of Health Management Information System (HMIS) data as it is used for performance appraisals and payment through the Health Basket Fund score card. A multidisciplinary team visited Dodoma, Mtwara and Geita Regions. Main recommendations were the transition from a cumbersome paper based HMIS to electronic data systems and the effective integration of databases to allow facility planning relevant queries, e.g. evaluating expenditure and disease burden data to assess cost-effectiveness.
These and other recommendations, arising from the field visit and the health sector performance profile, informed the technical meeting of the JAHSR on the 26th and 27th November, 2016 at Karimjee Hall. The above HMIS relevant recommendations were retained. Additionally, the direct financing of health facilities and the establishment of policy recommendations by the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children regarding preferred medicine supply back-up system, e.g. regional prime vendors, were proposed as priority actions for 2017.
The policy JAHSR meeting adopted the above policy priorities fully and provided timelines by which these will be implemented. In addition, the rapid harmonization of strategies implementing the rural Community Health Fund (CHF) and the urban Tiba kwa Kadi (TIKA) health insurance scheme was also prioritized in view of the setting up of a single national health insurance in the near future. The policy meeting took place on December 7, 2016 and was chaired by Hon. Ummy Ally Mwalimu, Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and concluded by Hon. Selemani Said Jafo, Deputy Minister President’s Office Regional Administration and Local Government. The DPG Health consensus statement was provided by the Swiss Ambassador to Tanzania, H.E. Florence Tinguely Mattli.
For more information, please visit: Development Partners Group Health Tanzania
