Do health facilities work for people?

5 May 2014 hot | Sauti za Wananchi

Only 1 out of 20 (6%) people over the age of 60 and 1 out of 5 (18%) children under five receive free treatment and care at health facilities. Policy states that outpatient services for these two groups are free but citizens report that they are still being charged.

These findings were released by Twaweza in a research brief titled Do health facilities work for people? Citizens and health workers report on health services. The brief is based on data from Sauti za Wananchi, a nationally representative mobile phone survey of households across mainland Tanzania.

Health care is a key service required by the majority of citizens. More than half (57%) of Tanzanians visited a health facility between May and June 2013, either to seek treatment or to accompany a patient. Most (77%) of these visits were made to government health facilities. However a majority of Tanzanians (63%) believe that the government is handling the improvement of basic health services badly. Patients experience of health services largely depend on health worker availability and access to medicines. In September 2013, Sauti za Wananchi reported that 41% of patients could not access medicine at health facilities.

Read more: health Sauti za Wananchi

Authors: Elvis Mushi Youdi Schipper

Editors: Rakesh Rajani Risha Chande

featured

Organizations: Twaweza

Pages: 7

Type: Policy brief

Year: 2014

Download

• Do health facilities work for people? | Policy Brief | 433.84 KB
• Children and the elderly are paying the price for free treatment and care | Press Release | 288.4 KB
• Je, vituo vya afya vipo kwa ajili ya kuwahudumia watu? | Policy Brief | 833.19 KB
• Huduma na matibabu ya bure inavyowagharimu wazee na watoto | Press Release | 284.85 KB

Translations

• Je, vituo vya afya vipo kwa ajili ya kuwahudumia watu? |

10463 views | Posted by Risha Chande (via Rakesh Rajani)

You might also like...

• What’s going on in our schools? Citizens reflect on the state of education (30 Jun 2014)
• Tanzania in 2025: Are Tanzanians optimistic about the future? (4 Dec 2014)
• Protecting the rights of everyone: citizens' views on disabilities (3 Nov 2014)
• Let’s build one house! What Tanzanians think about the East African Community (6 Oct 2014)
• Citizens making things happen: are citizens active and can they hold government to account? (1 Sep 2014)
• Managing natural resources: what do citizens say? (2 Jun 2014)
• What do people really think of the constitution? (22 Apr 2014)