Canadian Network for International Surgery

Published purpose

The goal of the project is to improve the health of mothers and newborns by assisting Tanzania’s Ministry of Health in training 1,300 non-physician health professionals to improve their ability to provide quality obstetrical care. The project provides training to 96 senior instructors, who in turn train local trainers in the towns of Mbeya, Tanga, Moshi, and Mwanza. The medical training schools owned and funded by the Ministry of Health provide training to clinical officers, midwives and assistant medical officers to teach them to: (i) identify patients who require referral; (ii) provide emergency obstetrical care; and (iii) conduct caesarean sections. As a result, 576 clinical officers, 576 administrative medical officers, 40 obstetrics professionals and 96 midwives are expected to have increased skills in emergency surgical and obstetrical care contributing directly to reducing illness and death in mothers and newborns in rural Tanzania. The Canadian Network for International Surgery works with the Mbeya Medical Training School, Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre Medical Training School, Tanga Medical Training School, Bugando Medical Training School, and the Ministry of Health And Social Development to implement this project. This project is part of Canada’s maternal, newborn and child health commitment. The maximum CIDA contribution to this project includes $10,000 for monitoring purposes.