The KAN-Kwa Afya Njema: Ensuring the Last Mile through a Community Approach project aims to contribute to ending the epidemics of AIDS, tuberculosis, malaria and neglected tropical diseases by 2030 (target 3.3, Agenda 2030) in Tanzania.
Funded by the AICS/Global Fund program for synergistic actions in the fight against HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, the project will support local partners in promoting quality and effective preventive and curative health services, eliminating barriers to access for the most vulnerable populations affected by the three diseases (the "last mile"), encouraging community-level measures to increase accessibility to services and ensuring the protection of patients' rights.
The intervention of the consortium of partners during the project will allow the improvement of the prevention services of health facilities at district level through CRG-based interventions, the increase of the infrastructure of community health services for the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, TB and malaria, the consolidation of a system of proximity medicine for the prevention and treatment of HIV, TB and malaria.
The beneficiaries will be selected among the population living in rural areas and in the poorest urban conglomerates and will be mainly women of reproductive age and pregnant women who are most at risk due to environmental conditions (violence, discrimination, patriarchal society).
The project will take place in the urban districts of Mufindi and Iringa sensitized on the importance of sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) and on the reduction of stigma related to the 3 diseases, involving 8500 adolescents, young women. Screening campaigns will be launched in outreach activities, to identify and reduce the spread of HIV, TB and malaria thanks to 90 health workers belonging to the 9 rural health centers of the district who will be trained on the CRG-based approach, on the "national guideline for neonatal care and the creation of neonatal care units" of the Ministry of Health of Tanzania and on the use of the Panda application to reduce TB transmission and transmission
Expected results:
- Improve the prevention services of health facilities at the district level with CRG-based interventions through the training and mentoring of health workers and Community Health Workers in order to reduce TB transmission and vertical transmission of HIV. It is important to carry out an awareness and advocacy campaign on sexual and reproductive health (SRHR) with the support of Kamati (CBOs) and the organization of social theater workshops to reduce stigma on subjects affected by the 3 diseases and the promotion of vaccinations, including against Covid-19.
- Increase the infrastructure of local health services for the diagnosis and treatment of HIV, TB and malaria through the opening of a Community Pharmacy, the implementation of a mobile health support system at the territorial level and the implementation of prenatal visits for the prevention and treatment of the 3 diseases for women of reproductive age, pregnant women and their children.
- Consolidate the system of territorial medicine for the prevention and treatment of HIV, TB and malaria through the analysis of the resilience and accessibility of the local health system in the post-covid19 era and the impact on vulnerable subjects and the creation of a network of stakeholders with a "One Health" perspective.
The leader is COPE, the partners are:
- Kituo Cha Afya (KCA) of Nyololo – Nyololo Hospital;
- District Medical Officer (DMO) of Mufindi - Tanzanian public law body
- Regional Medical Officer (RMO) of Iringa - Tanzanian public law body
- National Institute of Medical Research (NIMR) - Tanzanian research institute
- University of Dodoma – public university
- San Raffaele Hospital - Scientific Institute for Hospitalization and Care (IRCCS)
