New PPP in Eastern Africa

In the Usambara mountains of northern Tanzania, a new public-private partnership (PPP) measure of the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit (GTZ) GmbH – German technical cooperation – has been launched with dance, theatre, a football championship and speeches. For the next two years, GTZ will be supporting the Mponde Tea Factory in providing its 300 employees and 34 neighbouring villages with access to health insurance and a company clinic.

Mosquito nets are to protect in particular children better against malaria. Information about HIV/AIDS, plus AIDS counselling and testing, are to enable rapid diagnosis and treatment of the disease. Tuberculosis and non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and high blood pressure are to be treated as well.
In addition, GTZ is outfitting five motorcycle-operated ambulances, which are being designed specifically for this purpose. This means that 170,000 people will have a chance for the first time to sign up for health insurance and that they can depend on rapid transportation to the nearest clinic. The Mponde Tea Factory and GTZ together are investing some EUR 200,000 in the project. The Tanzanian Government and the AIDS Business Coalition Tanzania (ABCT) are also assuming part of the total cost of EUR 500,000. In two years, the Mponde Tea Factory will be running the health station and the HIV/AIDS workplace programme on their own. Company head Shahdad Mullah is enthusiastic about the idea: the good health of his employees and suppliers is especially dear to his heart. The Tanzanian Ministry of Health will take over administration of the Community Health Fund in 2012.