Community health workers are the unsung heroes of depleted health system in a picturesque valley in Southern Tanzania called Kilombero. They are on the front-lines of a health system that has one medical doctor for every thirty thousand inhabitants yet they receive marginal to no recognition and very little to no pay.
Newborn babies account for close to a third of the fatalities that occur daily among children under the age of five in Tanzania. 130 babies die within 28 days of being born from mainly preventable causes. These are precisely the type of situations where community health workers can make a significant contribution since half of all births take place at home and mostly in unsanitary conditions. Health education and health facility referrals to expectant mothers can make the difference to newborn baby survival.
Electronic Afrika intends to provide innovative methods to health information delivery in rural Tanzania. We believe the answer lies in adapting communication technologies to the local context and environment. Tremendous gratitude goes out to Tigo Tanzania and Reach for Change for supporting our eAfya (eHealth) initiative with a $20'000 prize and social business training.
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