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Our Work in Tanzania

With geographical barriers and limited medical professionals, families in northern Tanzania face challenges in accessing basic healthcare, let alone specialized cleft care. Through our partnership with Bugando Medical Centre, more families can now access year-round, Comprehensive Care.  

Families participating in a workshop on cleft care.

Cleft Care in Tanzania Today

Tanzania has one of the lowest doctor-to-patient ratios worldwide, with just 1 doctor for every 20,000 people. This shortage particularly affects access to specialized care, such as treatment for conditions like cleft. Learn more in our podcast episode ‘Innovators in Action: Speech and Surgery Collaboration in Ethiopia and Tanzania’. 

 With the majority (63%) of Tanzania’s population living in rural areas, access to services is limited due to the sparse distribution of healthcare facilities. 

 Our work in Tanzania focuses on raising awareness about cleft conditions in the Lake Zone Region, to help affected children reach full rehabilitation. 

Fast Facts

  • Population: 56,497,000
  • Capital: Dodoma
  • Poverty Line: 26% of population
  • Cleft Incidence: 2,950+ / year 
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Key Challenges

  • Community Focus

    Community Engagement 
    Many families are unaware that cleft is a treatable condition. Clinicians dedicate significant effort to engaging communities and their leaders about cleft and its treatment. 

  • Key-Challenge-Speech-Therapy

    Speech Therapy 
    There are less than 10 speech therapists in Tanzania. Our program aims to raise awareness among local governments and communities about the need for speech therapy.  

  • Newborn Nutrition Focus

    Newborn Nutrition 
    34% of children in Tanzania face chronic malnutrition. Increasing community awareness of Bugando’s existing nutrition programs is helping to alleviate these challenges for children in districts around Mwanza. 

Bugando at a Glance

Cleft Professionals

Dedicated CCC professionals building Tanzania’s first CCC centre.

location

Square kilometres served by Bugando across its 4 regions: Kagera, Mwanza, Shinyanga, and Mara. 

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Community health leaders have received training on how to identify cleft lip and palate and support families.

“We, as current practitioners, have learned from the seniors, and must be able to come up with new information and build the capacity for the coming generation I think we have a duty really to advance Comprehensive Cleft Care.

- Dr. Francis Tegete, Plastic and reconstructive surgeon,
Bugando Medical Centre

Stories from Tanzania

Our Partners in Cleft Care

TF has been supporting partners in Tanzania since 2024.

Our Partnerships in Tanzania

  • Bugando Medical Centre, Mwanza 
  • Comprehensive Community Based Rehabilitation in Tanzania (CCBRT), Dar es Salaam 
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