What we are doing

The Health Center of the Ruvuma Onlus Association is located in Mbweni, 35 kilometers north of Dar es Saalam, in the Kunduchi region. We have decided to implement our solidarity project in Tanzania, a country where, according to United Nations estimates, life expectancy for men is 47 years and 49 years for women. Almost 60 percent of the population lives on less than 2 dollars a day, among the diseases that afflict the country there are malaria and AIDS: official data indicate 7% of the adult population, with a strong penetration into class d age between 20 and 34 and 120,000 deaths from malaria per year, among these children under 5 are the most vulnerable and affected group. According to the National Malaria Control Program it would be enough to start the treatment when the disease is in its infancy, to be saved.

In 1996 the Ministry of Health published the Standard Guidelines for the Health Service, which everyone should have complied with. Currently registered private health facilities in the area are: 126 Health Centers (of which 70 voluntary associations, 50 for profit organizations, 6 semi-state organizations); 1340 Dispensaries (of which 561 for profit organizations, 250 parastatal organizations, 30 dental clinics and 28 medical clinics).

At the geographical level of the 121 private hospitals, 56% are located in rural areas, the remaining 53 in urban areas. Of the 126 registered Health Centers, 65 are in rural areas, the remaining 61 in urban areas. On the other hand, 10% of the Dispensaries are located in rural areas (134), the remainder in urban areas. Dental clinics and medical clinics arise exclusively in urban areas.