Prospects and challenges of using ward health committees for improving public health at ward level in Tanzania: a case of Kinondoni municipality

This study investigated the “Prospects and Challenges of using Ward Health Committees for Improving Public Health at ward level in Tanzania: A case of Kinondoni Municipality in Tanzania.” Primary data were collected using questionnaires and interview guide. Secondary data were collected through documentary review and textual analysis from hard and software sources of information. Analysis of data was done through the use of both qualitative and quantitative methods whereby explanations were provided to elaborate the data through the use of qualitative methods while tables, frequencies and percentages were used to analyze quantitative data of the study. The study therefore, intended to achieve the following specific objectives; to examine peoples’ awareness and knowledge on the presence of ward health committees for improving the quality of public health at ward level, to determine ward health committees’ and communitys’ roles and responsibilities in improving public health activities at ward level, to identify the challenges ward health committees encounter in executing their duties and to identify ways to address ward health challenges faced by ward health committees. The study reveals that community members have high expectations with Ward Health Committees (WHCs) towards the improvement of public health delivery within their wards. The majority of the respondents demonstrated awareness on the roles and responsibilities of WHCs on improving public health activities to members of the community. On the contrary all WHC members were not aware of the District Council Health Services Board (DCHSB) document of 2001that established WHCs in the country. Moreover, the study findings indicate that the majority of WHC members were primary education leavers, which made them ineffective in articulating various policies related to public health. The study also found some challenges that hindered effectiveness of WHCs included; financial problems, poor community involvement, lack of competent expertise, poor public health education to community members and shortage of dispensaries and medicines supply. Regarding this situation, the study proposes some remedial measures such as allocating enough funds for public health affairs, provisions of public health education to community members, involving community members on public health related issues, Improving the public health infrastructure, instituting good governance principles in public health delivery at ward level and finally to initiate severe punishment to whoever breaching public health laws and by-laws. Lastly, the study provides some recommendations and areas for further studies and policy implications.