Detailed Mechanism Funding and Narrative

Years of mechanism: 2010 2011 2012 2013

Details for Mechanism ID: 9455
Country/Region: Tanzania
Year: 2010
Main Partner: Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - Tanzania
Main Partner Program: NA
Organizational Type: Host Country Government Agency
Funding Agency: HHS/CDC
Total Funding: $815,680

Goal and objective:

This mechanism will strengthen MOHSW oversight in the provision of safe and adequate blood and blood products, help address blood quality and quantity issues related to coverage, improve component production, rational use and equitable distribution of safe blood to health facilities in Tanzania mainland. The funds will enhance rational blood usage especially components through training of physician and nurses, improve blood information capture by supporting the implementation of a blood computer system to capture repeat blood donors to develop a safe donor pool which is low (25%) in 2009.

One of the challenges facing the National Blood Transfusion Service (NBTS) since its inception in 2005 has been inability to provide enough blood to cover transfusion facilities needs. The collection in 2009 was 120,000 units which is equivalent to (34%) population coverage. The funding will assist NBTS to step up blood mobilization, recruitment, transportation, component production, track repeating donors through the blood computer system, and continue training of hospitals and orient hospital transfusion committees in component and rational blood use.

Quality systems and processes are very important aspects of blood transfusion; NBTS has reduced the prevalence of HIV in donated blood from 7% in 2005 to less than 3% in 2009. This fund supports the strengthening of the quality systems including review of policy ,guideline and other standards, to further reduce the HIV prevalence and other TTIs to the internationally acceptable and support measures that leads to NBTS laboratories accreditation. The funding will support human resource and management capacity development across all blood processes.

MOHSW will provide leadership and TA in assuring highly functional and operational national blood transfusion services while assuring sustainability and quality systems integration for the support of the HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in Tanzania.

Contribution to health system strengthening:

MOHSW will promote sustainability through building the capacity of local indigenous organizations to carry out blood donor advocacy, recruitment, mobilization and sensitization activities.

To avoid the overdependence on a sole donor, NBTS will be expected to diversify the funding base by applying for GOT MTEF funding, orient districts an regions to budget for blood safety activities in their comprehensive district plans, apply for the Global Fund and other donors, implement cost recovery measures, foster private public partnerships and solicit additional grants from other international development and national funding agencies.

Cross-cutting program and key Issues:

Cornerstone to success of the program is linkages with HIV prevention program that integrate prevention education into donor recruitment, counseling and results notification and the in corporation of sexual prevention groups into the pool of low risk donors and formation of donor clubs. Linkages with Care and treatment program, health facilities to establish strong referral of HIV and other TTI positive donors to proper treatment and care. Collaboration with Malaria (PMI) program, to develop malaria prevention massages for VNRBD. Also, joint prevention strategies to prevent malaria thus decrease malaria related anemia and need for transfusion. linkage to Phones (P4H) for health to send massages to blood donors helps to retain repeat donors helps to build safe donor pool

Strategies to become more cost efficiencies over time:

To facilitate efficiency of the service, the funding will be used to promote component production, appropriate utilization of blood and blood products, donor clubs formation for repeat blood donors, integration of safe blood activities within regional and district plans and strengthening of transfusion committees. Part of sustainability plan, MOHSW NBTS will ensure a gradual transition from donor funding to Government of Tanzania reliance. One strategy will be the establishment of NBTS as a semi autonomous agency and the promotion of public private partnerships.

Geographical Coverage and targeted populations:

This is a national wide program focusing on national coverage with safe blood. The program targets all groups of people, some as VNRBD (especially youth), others to support blood activities such as mobilization and motivational incentive for donors. The funding will enable MOHSW NBTS improve on previous achievement by expanding in scope and increased geographical coverage for the provision of safe blood as part of the HIV prevention, care, treatment,.,

Linkages to Partnership Framework:

The funds will be use to implement the Government of Tanzania's and USG PEPFAR HIV/AIDS and Partnership Framework strategies and HIV/AIDS prevention goals of preventing new HIV infection through unsafe blood by selecting and maintaining of low risk donor pool (VNRBD), counseling and testing of potential donors and testing of donated blood to exclude transfusion transmissible infections (TTIs) especially HIV.

Monitoring and Evaluation Plans:

NBTS will monitor the implementation to ensure quality donor selection, testing, storage, transportation and transfusion services. NBTS will evaluate its achievement on adequate coverage, reduction in HIV and other TTIs amongst donors and national safe blood coverage. This will necessitate employing evidence based strategies and improving on program management and evaluation.

Funding for Strategic Information (HVSI): $150,000

?The funds will be used to strengthen HIV reporting as part of the strategy to integrate HIV/AIDS into routine health care

-This will be done through training, supportive supervision, data quality assessment and dissemination at districts and regional levels. Baseline funds will be used to provide technical assistance to Integrated Disease Surveillance response (IDSR), HMIS and DSS. -The increase in funds will be used by MOHSW to provide coordination and oversight of SAVVY and to provide coordination and oversight of GIS and master facility related activities.

Funding for Health Systems Strengthening (OHSS): $165,000

Continue to collaborate with the FELTP to conduct short courses to build capacity of health professionals at district and regional levels to enable them undertake disease surveillance and hence intervene disease outbreaks in order to improve the general public health.

Funding for Biomedical Prevention: Injection Safety (HMIN): $500,680

Continuation of support for IPC, including establishment and functioning of IPC committees, IPC training for health care workers and support staff, health care worker safety measures and PEP (Post-Exposure Prophylaxis), and waste management; nationwide coverage

Cross Cutting Budget Categories and Known Amounts Total: $810,000
Education $625,000
Human Resources for Health $185,000
Key Issues Identified in Mechanism
Workplace Programs