GHM Consulting: Community Health Educators in Tanzania

Lake Tanganyika Diocese

Community Health Educators

Rebecca Hartwig, GHM volunteer and nurse consultant, visited Lake Tanganyika Diocese in Rukwa and Katavi regions of south-west Tanzania with Global Health Ministries in March. She had come six years previously with GHM consultants to help set up a community health educator (CHE) program through the 22 parishes in this new diocese. Since that time, these volunteer CHEs have attended GHM-sponsored seminars, guiding them in teaching their local communities about disease prevention and health promotion. More than 50 volunteers serve their communities as an outreach of the diocese, visiting households and giving health presentations to groups in churches, schools, and marketplaces.

Rebecca spent time greeting and talking with these generous volunteers as they prepare to extend their teaching, with a focus on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) in 9 selected villages and Mtisi Health Center. Mtisi has treated 97 cases of cholera just this year, impressing on us the need for health education with WASH.

Rukwa and Katavi regions cover a wide geographic area. During her 2-week visit, she was able to visit several villages along Lake Tanganyika, Lake Rukwa, and Katavi. She met with villagers, village elders, and government health officials to explain how the CHE volunteers would like to provide WASH teaching, nutrition education, and the construction of ventilated improved pit latrines to their communities at their invitation and with their help. Rebecca shared it was an honor to be involved in the health initiatives of this hard-working diocese!