Report on Distance Learning in Tanzania Now Available

I-TECH Tanzania recently completed an assessment of local capacities for undertaking distance learning [pdf 2305KB] as a means to train health care workers—of which there is a serious shortage—in that country. The assessment was conducted in Tanzania from May through August 2008 in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Tanzania and the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW), with funding from PEPFAR.

Researchers gathered information on current distance learning programs in Tanzania as well as other African countries, and studied the demand for and practical considerations of implementing such programs for health care workers in Tanzania. Their report of findings is a product of months of intensive communication, consultation, observation, and reflection with and by many individuals dedicated to implementing high quality health care worker training in Tanzania. It describes the achievements and benefits of in-country distance learning programs, potential health care worker cadres who could be trained through this milieu, and challenges that must be addressed in order to expand existing programs, including technological feasibility and Zonal Health Resource Centre (ZHRCs) capacity.

On 29 April a meeting will be held in Dar es Salaam, where I-TECH staff and the head of the Centre for Distance Education of the MOHSW will share the results of the assessment and present recommendations. Attendees will have a chance to work in groups to prioritize activities related to the recommendations and give input into next steps.