Vital support is helping thousands of refugees get primary health care in Tanzania
Vital support is helping thousands of refugees get primary health care in Tanzania
Mitamba Lukyuku was among the first wave of refugees who fled civil war and political unrest in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to Tanzania, over a decade ago.
“Seven of my family members were killed when conflict broke out in 1997 between two warring groups,” she recalls.
Now living in Nyarugusu camp, one of the oldest camps for Congolese refugees, the mother of seven has found safety here and more importantly, access to health services made available by donations from IrishAid; the Government of Ireland’s official agency for international development.
“We, the women in the camp are not afraid of giving birth anymore because we are well taken care of.”
“We, the women in the camp are not afraid of giving birth anymore because we are well taken care of,” says Lukyuku. “The deaths occurring during delivery are very rare nowadays.”
The 33-year-old mother is among thousands of women in Nyarugusu, Mtendeli and Nduta camps who have benefitted directly from IrishAid’s support to UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency.
This vital donor support is helping UNHCR facilitate access for refugees to primary healthcare and reproductive health, HIV prevention and treatment. Refugees are also getting opportunities to attend awareness campaigns on family planning methods and their benefits.
Lukyuku is one of the beneficiaries of the family planning campaign which has had a positive impact on her health. The knowledge she has acquired through the campaigns has enabled her to volunteer as a peer counselor in the camp where she counsels other women and girls on family planning methods.
In the camps, refugees can access health care services ranging from education on family planning methods, antenatal care, emergency obstetric and neo natal care to voluntary counseling, HIV testing and provision of antiretroviral drugs, and treatment for opportunistic infections.
With high birth rates currently between 3 and 4 births per 1,000 people and low family planning acceptance rates of 30 per cent, UNHCR and health care agencies are promoting family planning among refugee families.
The introduction of the reproductive health program and active advocacy by community health workers has seen a decrease in the number of children born at home. For instance, in May, 96 per cent (6,605 babies) of all new babies were delivered in camp health facilities.
“This is truly a success story for us,” says Dr. Lakruwan Dassanayake, UNHCR’s Public Health Officer based in Kibondo, Northwest Tanzania.
UNHCR works with Tanzania Red Cross Society (TRCS) to provide health services in Nyarugusu and Mtendeli camps, while Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) runs health facilities in Nduta camp.
As of 30 April, Tanzania was hosting over 351,000 refugees, with 87 per cent of them living in the three refugee camps in Kigoma region. The majority are from Burundi while the rest are from the DRC.
This year, contributions received stand at USD 15 million as of 31 May with Irish Aid being among the major donors to UNHCR’s operations in Tanzania. However, only 12 per cent of the overall financial budget of US $125.9 million has been funded.
The low level of funding coupled with the high number of refugees in the camps is hampering efforts to meet their growing needs.
“We try to provide all health services as per the standards set by the World Health Organization.”
In Nyarugusu for instance, there are 11 health facilities providing maternity care, inpatient and outpatient services. The facilities cannot meet the high demand for services.
“We try to provide all health services as per the standards set by the World Health Organization,” says Helena Kigoyo, a supervisor for the health information team for TRCS in Nyarugusu camp. “However, insufficient funding makes it tough to ensure constant availability of essential drugs and enough medical personnel.”
For refugees like Lukyuku, whatever support is received by UNHCR from donors is welcome as it means access to essential services. As she continues with her life in Nyarugusu with her family, she hopes that the support will continue.
“It’s my dream to be a successful business person and the more support we receive, the closer I will get to achieve this dream,” she says.
