Database Supports Faith-Based Health Sector in Tanzania

Over the past three years, the Capacity Project has been working with the Christian Social Services Commission of Tanzania (CSSC) to develop a health facility and human resources geographic information system (GIS). The system contains program, equipment and community data on 850 faith-based facilities and is linked with a database on over 14,000 health workers. CSSC is now using it to support personnel records management, resource analysis and training coordination. The Project recently strengthened the capacity of CSSC at the local level by providing on-site systems configuration and training to use the GIS in each of five new Zonal Secretary offices (Morogoro, Arusha, Mwanza, Tabora and Mbeya). Project staff also met CSSC partners to collaborate on the AfyaMtandao (“Health Network”) initiative, and reviewed data collection issues to support integration of HR data into the Project’s iHRIS databases. The Project’s efforts also supported a memorandum of understanding between the Tanzania Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and the CSSC, with the aim of further integrating HR and facility information into a nationwide HR management system.