Improving Community Health Program

Empower Tanzania initiated a new public health education program in Babati Town Council, a rural area with a population of 130,000 people in 33,600 households. Each of these households sent one household representative to receive 32 contact hours of vital information on nutrition, safe water and sanitation, menstrual periods, reproductive health, sexually transmitted infections including HIV, healthy pregnancy, and vaccination. 

The health education is presented by 35 Community Health Workers who underwent an intensive course of training by Empower Tanzania. They use videos and PowerPoint presentations to teach the household representatives and will complete training of all 33,600 households in October 2025. Amazingly, there has been over 99% attendance by the household representatives.

The household representative then shares the information with other household members using a 42-page illustrated booklet prepared specifically for the program. Pre- and post-surveys of knowledge are performed for the attendees and the community as a whole to document what knowledge gain and change in attitudes was achieved. Babati Town Council health data will also be used to assess the impact of the program on health measures such as infant mortality, HIV, underage pregnancy, and others.