Mawazo Challenge- Students’ Health Innovation Challenge – Tanzania (TaMSA)

Name of the activity: Mawazo Challenge- Students’ Health Innovation Challenge

Country/NMO: Tanzania (TaMSA)

Program: Health Systems

Contact information: [email protected]

Type of the activity: Inspiring Innovation in the health and allied sciences students. a combined program on advocacy, local health policy undestaning, training and capacity building and multi sectoral collaboration in designing solutions for healthcare.

General description:

The has generally been a success by many Keey performance indicators set to the different partners but to TAMSA generally its the increased of health students involmvement in our health system and capacity building on various basic and professional skills of the teams involved
( reports available upon request)

Focus area:

The Scope of the program is wider than can be explained as it is an open challenge hence we have been able to accelerate many sub projects into Start ups in various focus areas e.g. health referral systems, reproductive health, Virtual Clinics, campaigns and advocacy ets. In a nut shell its Innovation but not necessarily Health system innovation

Problem statement:

There is an as years go by, it is predicted that more than 50% of medical trainees will not be practicing, on the other hand, almost all of the documented researches, articles and projects by health and allied sciences students end up unrecognised and implemented, so the program is aimed at unshelving the work done by them, inspiring innovation and multi sectoral collaboration and in the long run accelerating Start-ups that come with realistic and locally viable solutions to the health system and overall healthcare at any level or focus area in Tanzania

Target groups and beneficiaries:

Students in all Health and allied sciences universities in Tanzania at all levels
( certificates, diploma, degree and post graduates)

Objectives and indicators of success:

the objective is portrayed in the following theory of change model
– if we empower and provide the platform for the Health and Allied Services Universities Students in Tanzania to be able to establish new businesses and social enterprises, develop new techniques, technology and models, they will be able to produce new and innovative products to the market that will help to tackle challenges facing the health sector.

the indicators of success for the first round include
– success of the physical and social media campaign
– the number of applications
– the number of viable ideas
– feedback and issues raised by participants during the whole process
– Government recognition
– Viability of collected ideas

Methodology:

multisectoral engagement and formation of a consortium of partners with different background i.e., health students, technology and innovation as well as media and mass communication
1. physical university campaign
2. social Media Campaign
3. external Funder to provide the incentive and financial means
4. hackathon to sharpen the ideas submitted
5. objective selection of finalists as well as 7 day , full time bootcamp programs to intensify the preparation and focus on the viability of solutions proposed by the submitted ideas
6.Pitching sessions and rigorous selections
7. Provision of seed fund for the selected start-ups while on the process of creating sustainability plan for ongoing circles of the program

Plans for evaluation:

We have monthly analysis and reflection with the consortium members, where by every partner provides reports of there concerned area e student engagement. media and advocacy, innovation and acceleration.