Investigating access and utilization of health services by street children in urban Tanzania: a case study of Kinondoni municipality-Dar es Salaam region

Street children face multifaceted problem and they lack the life potential as other young persons. The health interventions are usually directed to general population without the concern of most at risk individuals like street children. In Tanzania, the health resources allocation priorities are affected by political decisions and lack of financial resources. The cross sectional study design was used to 103 street children (Male 99 and Female 12) who were interviewed using structured interview questionnaires for quantitative data and 10 participants among street children involved in In-depth interview questionnaires together with one focus group discussion which involved 8 respondents among street children were conducted in order to obtain qualitative information data. The random sampling selection was used. Street children are vulnerable to social and economical problems which expose them to illness and diseases. About 67% of street children had suffered from multiple diseases in three months past. Malaria and fungus have been observed to infect most of the street children for about 25% and 17% respectively from the number of diseases revealed by street children. The findings shows that, the utilization of health services by street children is 59% with majority seeking treatment in public health facilities The cost of treatment was found to be a principal barrier to achieve better health care. No protective mechanisms against disease to majority of street children are in place. Life on the street continues to have an adverse effect on the health of children living and working on the street, and thus, there should be urgent tasks for all stakeholders to cooperate to save the street children from illness and ensuring their better health services developments.