Why We Work in Tanzania
Maternal health indicators have been improving in Tanzania, but there is still a long way to go. In cities, nearly all women deliver in hospitals—but over 70% of the Tanzanian population lives in rural areas, where health care remains difficult to access.
In Tanzania women with fistula suffer for eight years on average before finding help. During that time, they experience significant emotional trauma—too often, fistula patients are shunned by their communities and abandoned by their husbands. Due to the isolating nature of fistula, many Tanzanian women do not know that their condition is treatable, and blame themselves for their misfortune or believe that they are cursed.
What You Help Us Do
We are investing in the following areas to build Tanzania’s in-country medical services and provide life-transforming surgery to as many women as possible:
Meet Our Partners
We identify local surgical teams in Tanzania already successfully treating women with fistula—and then work to amplify their efforts.
- Association of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons of Tanzania (AOFST)
- Location: Dar es Salaam, Dodoma, Geita, Kasulu, and Mbeya
- Partner Since: 2018
- Bugando Medical Centre
- Location: Mwanza
- Partner Since: 2018
- Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT)
- Location: Dar es Salaam
- Partner Since: 2012
- Maternity Africa
- Location: Arusha
- Partner Since: 2014
- Nkinga Referral Hospital
- Location: Nkinga
- Partner Since: 2021
- Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre
- Location: Arusha
- Partner in: 2011 – 2014
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre / Duke Global Health Institute
- Location: Moshi
- Partner in: 2014 – 2015
- Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic
- Location: Lake Tanganyika
- Partner in: 2011
- Women’s Dignity
- Location: Dar es Salaam
- Partner in: 2011 – 2012
Below are funding totals since the start of each partnership.
Current Partners
- Association of Obstetric Fistula Surgeons of Tanzania – $764,900
- Bugando Medical Centre – $529,909
- Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT) – $5,440,978
- Maternity Africa – $1,465,357
- Nkinga Referral Hospital – $483,577
Past Partners
- Arusha Lutheran Medical Centre – $82,960
- Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre / Duke Global Health Institute: $19,150
- Lake Tanganyika Floating Health Clinic – $50,000
- Women’s Dignity – $135,000