The document summarizes the occupational health system in Tanzania. It describes how occupational health services focus more on the formal sectors than the large informal sector. Majority of Tanzanians rely on out-of-pocket payments for healthcare as insurance schemes only cover a small portion working in formal sectors. The Ministry of Health is working to develop policies and strategies to improve coverage of occupational health services in the large informal sector workforce.

1. THE UNITED REPUBLIC OF TANZANIA
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND SOCIAL WELFARE
Occupational Health System in Tanzania
Prepared By
Joseph Birago M.Sc. in TDC and M.Sc. HIS
Occupational Health Unit

2. Surname Birago
First name Joseph
Nationality Tanzanian
Date of birth June 27, 1976
Sex Male
Marital status Married - Mercy
Religion Christian
Number of children 2 =Male-Lukeregwa-5years and
= Female -Sekanabho 1.5years
Tribe Muha – from Kigoma – Kibondo district
Language English & Swahili
EMPLOYMENT STUTUS and CONTACT ADDRESS
Name of Employer Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Position Environmental Health Officer
Department Preventive Services
Unit Occupational Health
Contact Address P. O. Box 9083
Location Dar es salaam, Tanzania
E-mail birago76@yahoo.co.uk
Mobile Phone +255 653 112 844

3. S/N Name of institution Duration of study Academic award
3.1 University of Dar es Salaam (UDSM) 2009 -2011 M.Sc. Health Informatics
3.2 Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences 2008-2010 M.Sc. Tropical Disease
(MUHAS) Control
3.3 University of Dar es salaam 2001 – 2004 B.Sc. Environmental
Health
3.4 Pugu secondary school 1997 – 1999 Certificate of Advanced
secondary education
3.5 Chunya Secondary School 1993 – 1996 Certificate of Ordinary
level secondary education

4. Health Financing in Tanzania
Financing for universal coverage and ensuring equity, the role of
social security and insurance
•Formal Sectors – National Health Insurance for GVT employees.
Very few are served with this scheme as compared to about 45M
Tanzanian population
•Private Formal Sectors(mining, industries, business) are all
covered with companies health schemes
•Informal Sector (subsistence farmers, Mining– uses community
health funds, little knowledge for the beneficiaries to this type of
health financing
= UMASIDA in informal sector

5. • The role of Social Security funds and
insurance
• - not covered well in the informal sector,
information are available to individuals but
protocol to enrolment difficult.

6. • To SUMMARIZE majority of Tanzanian relay
on out of pocket payment for the Health
Services. Insurance scheme just covers a
portion of workers in the informal sector
• insurance schemes cover for only permanent
staff in the GVT and private formal sectors
• To ensure universal coverage and ensuring
equity we needle to strengthen Communities
Health Funds and government investment in
the PHC

7. A Case of UMAIDA
• Urban based Community Health Fund
• To date CHFs have been established
exclusively in rural district. There are,
however, populations in the urban areas
which need these schemes to improve
accessibility to health care. These
populations include most unemployed
persons, retired individuals and those in
the informal sector economy

8. • mutual health scheme established by this sector has organized them for
health care
• It based its work in informal sector groups. These include small scale
market retailers, carpenters, mechanics, tinsmiths etc.
The Package it offers
• It offers a comprehensive health care package. This package consists of
• Maternal Child Health Care Services
• Treatment for regular diseases like Malaria, diarrhoea etc
• Provides VCT and STI management
• Surgical needs, ENT, and Ophthalmic provided at government units.
The Premiums
• The scheme has a premium paid by each family. A family here is a woman,
her four children under eighteen, her husband and grandparents if they’re
around.
• The premium is Tshs. 1,500/= per month. It is 18,000/= Tshs per year.

9. • UMASIDA has its own dispensaries in Dar
es Salaam, Arusha and Moshi

10. Health Services
• In Tanzania we have health inequalities
among groups of people.
• People in the informal sector have no
security when it comes to health services
• Health Insurance covers only formal sector

11. • Coverage with essential interventions
• Interventions at present
- Inspection of workplaces and law
enforcements
- HIV and AIDS in formal workplaces
- TB-workplace guideline
• Future plan
• - training informal sector
• Developing manual for informal sector

12. Occupational Health in Tanzania
• Very diverse occupational activities exist
• Occupational health services focuses
more in formal sectors than in informal
sector
• Little investments in occupational health
services because of inadequate
knowledge among policy makers, decision
makers and politician

13. Barriers/obstacles how to overcome them
Most of the uncovered working Sensitize and assist them in
populations are unorganized, collective obligation towards
unregulated with diverse their future Health
economic activities
Frequent change of economic Assist development of
activity among the uncovered organized and coordinated
population economic activities
Uncontrolled change of location Institutionalize of Laws allow
closure time esp in mining
Inadequate participation in Develop other types of
health financing schemes (CHF) contributions eg in-kind
payment, taxation
Inadequate services among Government commitment

14. THE WAYFOWARD
• MoHSW is in the plan to prepare the policy
guideline covering the informal sector
• MoHSW is in the plan to develop and
implement the Ministerial Occupational
Health Strategy
• MoHSW is in the process of calling
stakeholders of Occupational Health to
have a National Steering Committee on
Occupational Health and Safety

15. Comments and Suggestion are welcomed
-eNd-

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