SUCCES FACTORS & MOVING FORWARD
Why working together is the only way
Key success factors
- Collaboration created opportunities. Both Zanzibar stakeholders and SafeCare contributed essential knowledge and insight during the process. Both were essential to achieving the final result.
- Co-creation established trust. The working relationship between Zanzibar officials and SafeCare was trusted, respected, and formalized.
- Zanzibar took proactive ownership. Activities were jointly planned and implemented, commitments were met.
- Committed to long-term support. The Ministry of Health established a quality unit to ensure program sustainability.
Nwungi PHCU+
How proactive thinking leads to change
Nungwi PHCU+, a public facility, scored Level 1 during assessments in 2020 and 2021. The consistently low assessment results made it clear that it was difficult for the facility to make progress. Facility quality was poor, with no toilet for staff and patients, no water, and an ineffective layout.
After receiving the second Level 1 assessment, Zanzibar’s government took the initiative to find a new location. It transferred the facility’s activities to a new, nearby, unoccupied building and undertook refurbishments while facility staff worked on operational improvements.
In a follow-up assessment in 2022, the facility had already improved to Level 3.
Maintaining quality improvement
Keeping the momentum going
When resources are limited, it is even more important to guard quality improvements. Facility managers must make continuous quality improvement a routine activity. To this end, the ministry’s quality team keeps in close contact with them, helping identify areas where managers need support and empowering them to supervise their facilities in a supportive way.
In July 2023, SafeCare held a large stakeholder meeting to share the assessment results and common quality gaps. At the meeting, the Minister of Health recognized the best-performing facilities with certificates.
Moving forward
From institutionalizing quality healthcare to strengthening the healthcare ecosystem
Even though the initial impact of quality improvement is becoming evident, it cannot stand on its own.
Zanzibar’s Ministry of Health is undertaking new initiatives to strengthen its healthcare ecosystem:
- Embed quality in health financing. All facilities contracted by the Zanzibar Health Social Fund must have continuous quality improvement in place. This is a licensing condition for private facilities as well.
- Health insurance for all. Making quality care affordable, also for the most vulnerable.
- Setting up a health equity fund. Ensuring that the mandatory health insurance scheme is financially sustainable.
Thank you!
