TANZANIA NATIONAL NURSES ASSOCIATION

(TANNA)

TANNA REPORT ANNUAL NETWORK MEETING

MBABANE SWAZILAND 12TH – 13TH FEBRUARY 2010

By Romana SangaTANNA - Executive Secretary

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Introduction Background• Tanzania is a United Republic of two countries –

Tanzania Mainland and Zanzibar• There are union matters and non-union matters;

health is not a union matter hence our association is for the Tanzania Mainland only.

• Nurses association was established in Tanzania on 29th November 1971 which was known as Tanzania Registered Nurses Association (TARENA)

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Introduction cont’d

• In 2005 the constitution was reviewed and our association changed to Tanzania National Nurses Association (TANNA) and this has enabled the involvement of not just registered nurses but also all enrolled nurses throughout the country

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Introduction

• Currently TANNA has a total of 8,500 members out of 22,000 Enrolled and Registered nurses

• The Association has a total of 29 Regional Branches

• TANNA operates and is guided by its constitution which was adopted after it was established in 2005.

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Political and Social Events Annual General Meeting in April 2009 Various nursing stakeholders supported this

meeting financially. These were individuals and organizations from both private and public sectors.

Enabled nurse’s, both members and non members, to participate and share the views on the nursing profession and challenges they face in providing services to the community.

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Political and Social Events

International Nurses Day The International Nurses Day was

commemorated successfully nationally in Dar Es Salaam and in all Regional branches and hospitals across the country

TANNA invited the Prime Minister, Honorable Peter Kayanza Mizengo Pinda, (MP) as Guest of Honor for the occasion.

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Political and Social Events

International Nurses Day cont’d

In his speech he urged nurses to abide to the nursing ethics and promised to support nurses.

In cerebrating the Nurses Day, TANNA held a four day exhibition which involved nurses from Dar es Salaam showing nurse activities and services to the clients.

The exhibitions gave TANNA the opportunity to be better known by the public at large.

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LEADERS FORUM

TANNA held its leaders forum on 10th -12th December 2009

Three representatives from 28 Regional TANNA Branches attended the meeting. These were the chairpersons, secretaries and treasurers

The forum aimed to explore the challenges facing TANNA and nursing profession

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Country’s Economy and its Impact to Health

Positive impact: • Improving infrastructure for easy access to health

facilities etc• Construction of health facilities for each village to

serve the public• Ensuring availability of drugs in all health

facilities• Implementing policies that emphasized on

reducing mortality rates especially Maternal and Child Mortality Rates

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Country’s economy and its impact to health

• Implementing policies that put emphasis on the fight against malaria, ITN especially for hospitalized mothers and infants

• Provision of Ambulances for many District hospitals

• Provision of mobile free services for testing HIV/AIDS

• Provision of free ARV for victims of HIV/AIDS• Increasing enrollment of more nurse students in

order to tackle acute shortage of nurses in the country.

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Country’s Economy and its Impact to Health

Negative impact

• Health facilities experience acute shortages of human resources

• Power shortage has had serious impact on the provision of services in all health facilities.

• Due to shortage of funds some health facilities are non operational

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Challenges to Nursing

65% Shortages health professionals at facility level which is more severe in rural areas.

Demand of quality health services against the limited resources

Professional nurses mobilization from within the country and outside the country

Epidemiological change of diseases contribute to challenges for nursing services, for example HIV /AIDS pandemic, T.B, malaria and others.

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Challenges to Nursing

Negative public image towards services provided by nurses

Low pay of nurses compared to other professions

Insufficient lobbying skillsInsufficient working tools

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TANNA Activities

Implemented TANNA needs assessment, to get views from TANNA how to strengthen TANNA

The outcome of the assessment made it possible to design a work plan which will enable the establishment of those activities.

Mobile libraries that funded by ICN and operated in the refugee camps were placed under the government-owned schools of nursing

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Future planned activities for TANNA

Training on lobbying skills Implement a positive working environment

campaigns.Continuing education at working place Screening programmes for diabetics etc Promote practice in research standards

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Mission and Vision of our Association

Vision

A national leading and reputable Nursing/Midwifery professional group for excellence in Nursing education, research, Nursing/midwifery practice and other health service delivery (TANNA Strategic Plan, 2006)

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Mission and vision of your association

Mission

The Association is dedicated to promote competencies among the Nurses and Midwives for quality provision of nursing, midwifery and other health services nationally and internationally using its well- equipped and highly motivated regional branches.

Taking a wide look around at what’s going on outside the Association and how it might affect the professional Association

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Categories of Nurses in Tanzania

There are 8,850 Registered Nurses i.e. nurses with educational level of diploma and degrees

There are 14,454 Enrolled Nurses. These are nurses with certificate level of education

All are legible to be members of the association

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TANNA Branches and TANNA members

TANNA Branches There are 29 branches in all regions and

national and referral hospitals. TANNA members TANNA has a total of 8,500 but only about

3,500 members are active.

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International Affiliations

• ICN in collaboration with UHCR and MERK has been working with the project of Mobile Library which introduced 37 libraries in phases

• SANNAM- collaborates with SANNAM in Research proposals of HIV and AIDS in Tanzania, holding meetings and sharing health related issues and challenges.

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International Affiliations

ECSACON - in meeting presentations of issues in nursing particularly HIV and AIDS.

Norwegian Nurses Organisation (NNA) Supported TANNA in 1995 purchasing an office

vehicle and office building, but currently those properties are worn out.

CNF – In 2009 Successfully conducted a workshop in Dar-Es-Salaam on infection control.

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National and International Affiliations

Ministry of Health and Social Welfare - Recognizes the Association and has supported it in paying the annual fees for its membership in International organizations i.e. ICN, ECSACON and SANNAM

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Experiences on SANNAM

• The majority of TANNA members are not aware of SANNAM.

• However current leaders have been active in the activities of SANNAM and have continuously been sensitizing them to TANNA members in various meetings.

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TANNA legal standing:

Strategic plan and constitution

• TANNA members are all licensed by the Tanzania Nurses and Midwives Council which is statutory organization regulating the nursing and midwifery professions

• TANNA is registered by the Registrar of Associations.

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Source of in come

Membership fees and subscriptionFund raising programsDonation, gift and grantsSubsidies from the GovernmentLoan from any financial institutionSale of Association assetsAny other sources as authorized by the

TANNA leadership

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The Major Challenges in the Sustainability of our Association

 Poor communication due to inadequate fundsLack of full time administrative staff to all

levels of TANNA leadership structure.

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Challenges in the Sustainability of Association

Negative public image towards nurses Low number of TANNA membersInsufficiency training and lobbying skills to

TANNA leadersInsufficiency funds to promote quality nursing

services to improve positive image to the publicInsufficient incentives to retain/attract nurses in

their working places particularly in rural areas

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Way forward

Sensitize more nurses to join TANNAImprove communicationEmploy permanent staff to the National

TANNA headquartersIn service TrainingFind ways to improve income generating

activities for nursesConsidering making the association a union

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