Country
Tanganyika and Zanzibar merged to form the independent United Republic of Tanzania in 1964, Africa's largest country. One party rule came to an end in 1995 with the first democratic elections held in the country since the 1970s. The capital city is Dar es Salaam. However, some government offices have moved to Dodoma which is planned as the new national capital; the National Assembly now meets there on a regular basis.
Tanzania is located on the eastern coast of Africa, bordering the Indian Ocean. It also has borders with Kenya in the north, Mozambique to the south, and Uganda, Burundi, Rwanda and Zambia in the west. The total area, including the islands of Pemba, Zanzibar and Mafia, is 945,087 sq km, 59,050 sq km of which is water (lakes Tanganyika, Victoria and Nyasa). The mainland consists of the central highland plateau area ranging between 900 and 1,800m in altitude and situated between the geographical fault known as the Great Rift Valley.
Climate conditions vary from tropical along the coast plains to temperate in the highlands in the north (including Kilimanjaro 5,895m the highest point in Africa) and south. The central plateau bridges the two extremes and frequently floods in the rainy season. At other times it suffers from drought conditions.
Tanzania has natural resources of hydropower, tin, phosphates, iron ore, coal, diamonds, gemstones, gold, natural gas and nickel spawning industries of diamond and gold mining, oil refining, shoes, cement, textiles, wood products, fertiliser and salt. However the economy is dependent upon agriculture which provides 85% of exports and employs 90% of the workforce. Topography and climatic conditions limit cultivated crops to 4% of the land area. Primary agriculture processing includes sugar, beer, cigarettes and sisal twine.
Soil degradation, deforestation and desertification are all current environmental issues.
The official languages are English and Kiswahili and there are many local languages. Arabic is widely spoken in Zanzibar. Kiswahili is the mother tongue of the African Bantu living in Zanzibar and nearby coastal regions although its vocabulary draws on a variety of sources including English and Arabic sources, and it has become the lingua franca of central and eastern Africa. The first language of most people is one of the local languages. The dominant religions are Christianity (45%), Muslim (35%), indigenous beliefs (20%) although Zanzibar is 99% Muslim.
Air services are frequently used both for domestic and regional flights and there are regular services to Dar-es-Salaam and other major towns. Road accidents are probably the greatest safety risk, not least from speeding buses. There is a choice of regular long distance bus services between towns (including Kampala, Uganda) although not over night when buses are not allowed to travel.
For shorter journeys there are buses, minibuses and taxis. 20% of roads are paved but if you are travelling out of town you will need 4WD. Tanzania has two rail lines centred on Dar-es-Salaam and reaching to Moshi but not to Arusha. Passenger ferries operate on the lakes and coast.
Region
Arusha, northern Tanzania is one of Tanzania's most developed and fast growing towns. It was the former headquarters of the East Africa Community and today is the centre for the Tripartite Commission for East Africa Co-operation. Its importance increased in 1994 when the United Nations chose Arusha for its war tribunal offices. It is located in green surrounds at the foot of Mount Meru (4566m) and has a temperate climate all the year round that attracts tourists to it for the nearby national parks. Around the town are the commercial coffee, tea and maize estates. It has all the main services and facilities (telephone, e mail and Internet, immigration office where visas are issued, bars, nightclubs and live music) including an international airport, and over-enthusiastic street hawkers and tour operators attracted by the large tourist population.
Duties and Responsibilities
- To work with fellow Action Health trainers to conduct Baseline Data survey of district health status.
- To assist PHCU staff, Community Based Health workers and other relevant health workers to take preventative health care and health education to groups within the community.
- To assist and train staff to carry out community diagnosis and community mapping.
- To assist the Health Management Trainer in introducing and implementing HMIS utilisation.
- To unite and strengthen the PHCU team within the selected PHC units through training and development of their clinical, diagnostic, health management and training of trainers' skills.
- Support the development of establishing systems and collaboration between hospitals, PHC units and community health workers.
- Motivate & mobilise government health workers to share their skills and to work together with traditional health workers e.g. Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), Traditional Healers, Community Based Distributors (Family Planning Distributors).
- Support TOTs, continuing education and health educators to design, develop and implement appropriate in-service training for different cadres of health workers, including traditional health workers.
- Assist health workers to improve maternal health and take mother and child health care to the community.
- Work with the Mother and Child Health Aids (MCHAs) to enable them to deliver appropriate and effective anti-natal and post-natal services.
- Work with traditional health workers to develop their service delivery skills e.g. Traditional Birth Attendants (TBAs), Traditional Healers, Community Based Distributors (Family Planning Distributors).
- Work with Public Health Officers and other relevant officials to promote public health and environmental health within the community.
- Work with the relevant DHMT & PHCU staff assist the community to identify environmental health problems and to work with them and other extension workers to identify how to solve them.
- Submit quarterly progress reports to Action Health and to District Health Management Team, Simanjiro.
- Attend quarterly meetings of the Core Project Management Team.
N.B This is a generic job description for all the Action Health Community Health Trainers. The trainers will be expected to bring their relevant professional expertise to bear on the role e.g. Midwife and Doctor in Mother & Child Health will focus on the aspects relating to maternal and child health.
Person Specification
Essential
- Relevant professional qualifications and minimum two years practical working experience.
- Community health experience and working with local groups is essential, preferably a minimum of two years.
- Experience and ability of working as a part of a team.
- Experience of supporting, motivating and skill sharing.
- Good facilitation, communication and diplomacy skills.
- Must be willing to learn Kiswahili.
Desirable
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Experience of working with limited resources and support.
- Ability to work with people of different cultures, and to adapt work practice accordingly.
- Ability to be flexible to accommodate issues/situations that arise which are not specifically indicated in the job description.
- Good organisational and planning skills and an ability to prioritise work.
- Health management skills.
Placement Information
Accountability:
District Medical Officer, Simanjiro on a day to day basis and to Action Health Tanzania Country Co-ordinator.
Environment:
Living in Simanjiro will be geographically isolated, 200km from Arusha, the nearest large town. The trainer must have the stamina to travel on potholed roads by public transport.
They must also be able to work in a hot and humid climate and basic living conditions. The trainer must be willing to work in a close community. Trainers will be working and living in close proximity due to housing constraints, you therefore must be able to separate work from personal issues and be easy going, flexible and take people at face value.
Single applicants will be expected to share accommodation.
It is essential that you are aware of your own professional scope of practice and be able to refer on to the appropriate person.
Other Information
Required in post April 2001
This posting is funded by the National Lottery Charities Board
Click here to go to the Action Health application form
This is a new placement for a Community Health Trainer to work with different cadres of health workers to improve Primary Health Care and Preventative Health Services in communities surrounding the selected Primary Health Care Units.