Tanzania is not on track to meet its Millennium Development Goal of 62 %
improved sanitation coverage by 2015. This failure is due to population growth
characterised by rapid urbanisation which the Government of Tanzania is unable to
service due to limited capacity, resources and lack of coordination of the other
implementing stakeholders. Inadequate sanitation and hygiene results in morbidity and
mortality for Tanzanian's due to endemic infections resulting in diarrhoea and other
illnesses. This review summarises all the available literature to provide the current status
of sanitation and hygiene and an overview of projects and programs in Tanzania. Finally,
gaps have been identified in the current knowledge and recommendations made on how
to improve sanitation and hygiene in Tanzania.
This review identified the current stakeholders in sanitation and hygiene in
Tanzania to include; office of the Prime Minister, three government ministries, local
government areas, 12 donor and multilateral agencies, 5 private donors, 13 international
non-government organizations (NGO), 18 local NGO, 2 faith based organizations, 2
networks as well as numerous actors from community based organisations and the
commercial sector. Stakeholders interact through the policy process, funding,
implementation, research, evaluation, networks and partnerships.
The health burden due to poor sanitation and hygiene is significant. Diarrhoea in
the preceding two weeks is reported on average in 15 % of children under five years of
age and results in 9 % of all mortality for this age group. Cholera and Typhoid is endemic
in some areas of Tanzania and outbreaks are common. Then there is the ever present
problems of water related parasitic infections such as malaria and schistosomiasis.
Prevalence of these infections in Tanzania has been scientifically linked to poor
sanitation and hygiene; in particular a access to latrines, poor hand washing behaviour,
and inadequate drainage.