1. Dr. Koku Kazaura, Prevention Team Lead, CDC - Tanzania
Dr. Koku Kazaura, Prevention Team Lead, CDC - Tanzania
Evaluation of a National Program to Improve Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Injection Safety (IS)
in Tanzania
Center for Global Health
Division of Global HIV/AIDS

2. The situation and context
Background
In 2004, PEPFAR supported the Making Medical Injection Safer (MMIS) program with the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW) in public health facilities in Tanzania
MMIS portfolio aimed to:
Improve injection safety practices through training and building capacity of health care providers
Ensure availability of safe injection commodities through commodity and supply management
Reduce unnecessary injections via advocacy and IEC/BCC
Contribute to establishing a safe HCWM system
Increase health care worker safety by developing effective injury prevention modalities
Target population included health care providers, supervisors, & waste handlers

3. The situation and context (2)
Methods
An evaluation was conducted to assess interventions and describe current conditions and injection safety practices
Seven hospitals forming the core of the MMIS expansion plan were purposefully selected
Baseline and follow up surveys in 2005 and 2007 using WHO Injection Safety Assessment tool adapted for Tanzania
Survey units and target populations:
General Outpatient Department
General Medicine
Pediatrics
Gynecology - Obstetrics
Surgery
Laboratories

4. Key findings from the evaluation* * * *
* p<.05

5. Conclusion and Lessons Learned
Evaluation findings reveal significant improvements in injection safety practices including, but not limited to progress made in Infection prevention and control in health care settings
National programs that support safe injection policy and utilize a package of interventions may improve injection safety practices in resource-constrained settings
More research is needed to determine an optimal intervention model and assess the short and long-term impact of national injection safety programs
Although our interventions yielded improvements, we may need to consider programs and policies to support universal Hepatitis B vaccination for healthcare workers

6. Special thanks to our collaborators
John Snow Inc. (JSI) Making Medical Injections Safer (MMIS)
Ernest Chenya
Ministry of Health and Social Welfare – United Republic of Tanzania
Henock Ngonyani
US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Tom Pyun
Irene Benech
Dejana Selenic

7. Center for Global Health
Division of Global HIIV/AIDS