ADDRESSING THE HEALTH WORKFORCE CRISIS IN TANZANIA A PRESENTATION FOR THE SECOND STOP TB PARTNERS’ FORUM: NEW DELHI 24 –26 MARCH 2004 NTLP - MOH

Problems related to overall availability  Shortage of qualified personnel at central, district and lower levels of the health system  Attrition of staff – Ageing, death, internal and external brain drain  Shortage o f staff with particular skills such laboratory personnel at district level  One third of posts are vacant  Insufficient analysis of staff needs and subsequent long term strategic plans to fill requirements NTLP - MOH

Problems related to quality  Improper skills mix, low productivity, low motivation / morale and mal-distribution  Increased demand for health workers to deal with communicable and non-communicable diseases including TB, HIV/AIDS and Malaria  Inadequate knowledge of TB/HIV control strategies among the health workers  Ineffective supportive supervision to roll out best practices  Updating curricula of medical and paramedical schools to deal with TB, HIV/AIDS, malaria etc.  Coordination of stakeholders involved in recruitment and deployment of health workers NTLP - MOH

Way forward  Updating training curricula to accommodate changing needs  Address skills requirements to control diseases such TB, HIV/AIDS and malaria  Improve working conditions and motivation for workers  Multi-sectoral approach to streamline coordination of health workers  Raise priority of the human resource agenda including financing within stakeholders  Create data base on critical human requirements for control of diseases including TB NTLP - MOH