Integration of community health workers into the health system in Tanzania: Examining the process and contextual factors

Peter Mgawe and Stephen O. Maluka

International Journal of Health Planning and Management, 2021, vol. 36, issue 3, 703-714

Abstract: Integration of community health workers (CHWs) into the health systems has become a global concern. Recently, the Government of Tanzania through the then Ministry of Health and Social Welfare initiated different strategies that aimed at integrating CHWs into the health system. This paper discusses the process and factors that influence the integration of CHWs into the health system in Tanzania. The study employed qualitative case study design using in‐depth interviews (n = 37). In addition, various documents including health policies, Community‐based Health Policy, community health workers guideline and Community health workers training curriculum were reviewed. Data were analysed by using thematic analysis. The findings indicated that potential CHWs were selected based on the National Council for Technical Education standards that required an applicant to have four (4) passes in the ordinary level examination. None of the CHWs who had undergone training had been employed by the government. This differed from what was prescribed in the CHWs guidelines. Integration of CHWs into health system in Tanzania has not been optimal because of inadequate preparations in terms of stakeholders engagement, infrastructure, legal and policy frameworks, technical expertise and financial resources. Effective integration of CHWs into the health system requires working with different actors to communicate objectives, achieve ownership of the stakeholders, manage conflict and cooperation, and sustain changes.

Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
https://doi.org/10.1002/hpm.3114

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:bla:ijhplm:v:36:y:2021:i:3:p:703-714

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
http://www.blackwell ... bs.asp?ref=0749-6753

Access Statistics for this article

International Journal of Health Planning and Management is currently edited by Calum Paton

More articles in International Journal of Health Planning and Management from Wiley Blackwell
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Wiley Content Delivery ().