Tanzania - IMF relations and its impact on Socialist construction: a case study of rural health services in Kyela District 1978-1989

The study examines the impact of the IMF - induced policy shifts in Tanzanian politics on socialist construction of rural health services under the ERP. One of the Tanzania's socialist orientation principles has been the public provision of health services (RHS). RHS were being used inter alia, to reduce social inequalities. Under the agreement with the IMF this area was affected. The study makes a critical analysis of the IMF conditionalities impact on rural health services. We investigated budgetary allocations; availability, distribution and accessibility of rural health services; adequacy of facilities, drugs and staff; among other factors. Areas involved in the study include Kyela District, the Ministry of Health and CCM Party Headquarters, NAPCO, BOT and some international organisations such as SIDA, DANIDA, WHO, and UNICEF. Data was collected through the use of structured interviews, questionnaires and documentary analysis supplement by unstructured interviews. According to the findings health services have been starved of both human and material resources since the inception of the IMF - sponsored ERP. The government has capitulated from social services. The study concludes that the construction of socialism has been compromised. It is admissible to observe that the implementation of IMF conditionalities serves to accommodate the basic interests of the international capitalist system. The human and material resources of Tanzania have been rendered open to exploitation.