Distribution of dental therapists and assistant dental officers trained under the Tanzania-Danida Dental Health Programme 1981-1993.
The purpose of the present study was to describe the production of Dental Therapists and Assistant Dental Officers trained in Ministry of Health institutions in Tanzania during more that ten years of support from the Danish International Development Agency (Danida) through the Tanzania-Danida Dental Health Programme and to investigate their distribution and location. A total of 169 Dental Therapists and 38 Assistant Dental Officers have been trained from 1981 to 1993, representing more than 70% of the training capacity of the schools for training of oral health personnel under Ministry of Health. The distribution of both Dental Therapists and Assistant Dental Officers according to working station was, however very similar to that found before the Danida support began. Two out of every three Dental Therapists in government service were stationed in district clinics or non-government clinics at the district level. The same was true for one out of every three Assistant Dental Officers. It is concluded, that the intentions laid down in Tanzania's National Plan for Oral Health 1988-2002 of first staffing the district hospitals and, later on, the health centres with Dental Therapists have not yet been fulfilled.
Poulsen
S
S
Dental Therapist Training School, P.O. Box 5744, Tanga, Tanzania.
Fubusa
F
F
Gemba
P M
PM
Lema
P A
PA
Mosha
H J
HJ
Ntabaye
M K
MK
D003718:Denmark; D003726:Dental Assistants / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003727:Dental Auxiliaries / Q000193:education / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D003740:Dental Clinics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D006078:Government Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006767:Hospitals, District / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D007391:International Cooperation; D008297:Male; D011331:Private Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D011364:Professional Practice / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D013636:Tanzania