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Vassar College

Publication Date

Spring 2015

Program Name

Tanzania: Wildlife Conservation and Political Ecology

Abstract

This study conducted in Shirati village in the Rorya District of the Mara Region of Tanzania analyzed perspectives on the effectiveness of Maji Safi Group’s Disease Prevention Center at Shirati KMT District Designated Hospital. It took place from April 9th- 24th 2015. The sample frame was those affiliated with or using the Disease Prevention Centers resources. The sample populations were medical professional employed at Shirati Hospital (n = 15), Community Health Workers (n = 11) (CHWs) working for Maji Safi Group, and visitors (n = 113) to the Disease Prevention Center. This study utilized three main methods for data collection: 1) key informant interviews with medical professionals at Shirati Hospital; 2) key informant interviews with CHWs as well as participant observation at the Disease Prevention Center during it’s functioning hours (n = 20); and 3) verbal questionnaires completed by 62% of the 181 visitors to the Disease Prevention Center over 8 days. This data was analyzed using descriptive statistics. Results indicated that medical professionals recognize the need for Maji Safi Group to exist due to their lacking preventative medicine care at the hospital and appreciate the work done at the Disease Prevention Center, CHWs love and are proud of their jobs at the center, and visitors appreciate the center and learn the lessons well. Visitors further have intentions to increase disease prevention practices after having visited the Disease Prevention Center, but the actual application of these strategies can be inhibited by poverty, access to WASH materials, or lack of education. Maji Safi Group is trying to combat the lack of education by empowering locals to take prevention of waterborne diseases seriously. There are many positive views of the center and many requests for Maji Safi Group to extend their programs, but what the findings of this study ultimately showed is that to legitimately gauge and increase the effectiveness of the center, Maji Safi Group must become a permanent movement in Shirati.

Disciplines

African Studies | Community-Based Research | Community Health and Preventive Medicine | Diseases | Health and Physical Education | Medical Education | Public Health | Public Health Education and Promotion

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