Catalyzing injury prevention in Tanzania – from grassroots to the national stage By Mr. Michael L. Wilson, TANZANIA

1. Catalyzing injury prevention in Tanzania:
From grassroots to the national stage
Michael L. Wilson, MPH, PhD-MBA (cand.)
Director
Centre for Injury Prevention and Community Safety (CIPCS)
PeerCorps Trust Fund
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

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Tanzania
 51 million pop.
 50% under 15 years
 Swahili / English co-
official +100
 Religious harmony
 Politically stable
 Rapidly developing
 Dar es Salaam*

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PeerCorps: Origins
 Started by 6 medical students at University of
Dar es Salaam (2004)
 Grassroots peer to peer education for HIV
awareness and prevention (2004 - date)
 Too many organizations focused on only part of the
population health burden
 Survey of child injuries in Dar es Salaam (2009)
 CIPCS - Commitment to research, training,
advocacy and practice (2009 – date)

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Activities since 2009
 20 Peer-Reviewed studies (mostly on child and adolescent
safety)
 Co-supervised student master theses on elder abuse, child
burn prevention, falls
 Training of medical students in IP/SP
 Active contributor to Safe Communities activities
 Attempted to host an East African Regional Safe Communities
Conference (2014)
 Tanzania, Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi
 Tanzanian Injury Prevention Network (2014)
 Three Star Coalition for Road Traffic Safety Member (2015)

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What have we learned
 Injury prevention is mainly a political problem
but also an information problem at all levels
 Donor agencies have far too much influence in
local policies and practice and contribute to
personnel brain drain from other important
areas of prevention
 Communities themselves are ready and able to
embrace Safe Community concepts...the
problem lies in reaching them in large numbers

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Problems we still face
 Perception of injury as an avoidable problem
 Fatalism – injury due to bad luck / sorcery
(witchcraft)
 Community needs are often dictated by
someone else
 Capacity limitations

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Moving in a different direction

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Tanzania Injury Prevention Network
(TIPN)
 Membership extended to companies,
researchers, safety practitioners and others
 A voice for SP/IP in Tanzania
 Coordinated by PeerCorps-CIPCS and Steering
Committee
 Interest is there!
 Violence, traffic safety – core themes

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ICT for IP/SP
 Interactive toolkits for
education, advocacy
and training
 Home safety, fire
safety, traffic safety...
 For more info
www.tandli.com

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Thank you for your attention
Contact: michael.wilson@peercorpstrust.org