Where We Work : Tanzania : Health

“Life expectancy in Tanzania is only 47 years. Malaria is by far the biggest health burden. Our community health volunteers identify possible malaria cases and make sure the patient goes to the hospital immediately.”

-Dr. Farah Naz Hossain, Senior Medical Officer

Home visits every month for 210,000 poor families

Every month in villages across Tanzania, BRAC’s trained health promoters and workers provide door-to-door services to nearly 780,000 poor people. 

Our health programme covers the entire community, not just our microfinance members, and with particular attention given towards pregnant women and young children. 

We adopt a multifaceted approach to reducing the health risks for poor communities in Tanzania:

• Prevention of malaria, tuberculosis (TB), and HIV/AIDS
• Reduction of infant and under-five mortality rates
• Increased accessibility to health care

Our community health promoters alert the medical authorities to life threatening situations – especially complicated pregnancies, untreated tubersulosis (TB), and malaria in children. We encourage the use of Government health facilities and free treatments and vaccinations.

The programme focuses on the following priority areas:

• Reproductive health care
• Malaria control
• TB control
• Family planning
• Community health initiatives
• Basic curative services

Village health meetings

We also organise community health forums and raise awareness on health issues such as:

• Malaria
• TB and HIV/AIDS prevention
• Maternal health
• Family planning
• Sanitation