Key areas in TGPSH efforts to support Tanzania's poverty reduction and economic growth strategy (MKUKUTA II) are improved social health protection and ensuring sustainable, effective and transparent financing of the health sector. This is in line with the German Action Programme 2015 for poverty reduction in regards to basic social services.TGPSH focuses on two main areas: Social Health Protection as well as Financial and Drug Management.
TGPSH supports the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) and national stakeholders in developing a mid-to-long-term health financing strategy with capacity development for partners on health financing issues. Social Health Insurance mechanisms are strengthened by supporting the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) to manage council-based Community Health Funds (CHF) and “Tiba kwa kadi” (TIKA) insurance schemes.
Emphasis is put on the scaling-up of CHFs through sensitization activities, group enrolment and development partnerships with the private sector. TGPSH promotes the principles of solidarity, with regard to basic social services and strengthening social protection as a human right for poor and vulnerable groups.
The MoHSW assisted by the programme has recently made good progress towards formulating a mid-to-long-term health financing strategy that will provide the framework for future health financing reforms. Financing and facilitating a comprehensive costing study has resulted in creating the foundation for a more output-oriented delivery of health services in Tanzania
TGPSH supports district authorities and health facilities in their efforts to strengthen financial management systems and to have sufficient drugs available. Interventions in this area aim to contribute to a more transparent and rapid flow of funds. Activities have been piloted in Lushoto district, and other districts are currently supported with flexible, tailor-made interventions based on gap analysis.
Competence Centers for CHFs have been established through the Tanzania Network of Community Health Funds. Mandated to improve the functioning of the CHFs they have a positive influence on the enrolment rate in the regions that now reaches 20% in the most successful districts.
Applications for matching grant funds that come from the national level to top up local contributions have substantially increased and significantly added to the funds available for primary healthcare services in the districts of TGPSH programme areas.
In the area of financial management, the programme supported updating of the planning and budgeting software thus enabling districts to plan for and spend their cost sharing funds accordingly.
To overcome the problem of out-of-stock medicines, districts and health facilities have been assisted through capacity development. In addition, solutions to overcome drug supply bottlenecks at the Medical Stores Department are being developed with partners.
