Identifying Health Information Needs in Tanzania -- Evidence from the AudienceScapes National Survey

by David Montez, Research Analyst

Based on the AudienceScapes nationally representative survey of Tanzania, conducted in July 2010.

The report focuses on how people of different social groups in Tanzania consume, share and assess information on key health issues including HIV/AIDS, Malaria, Maternal and Child Health. Specifically, the report helps development organizations to identify health information needs for Tanzania adults and ways to share such information with key demographic groups.

There is inequitable access to health information in Tanzania - with significant differences between rural and urban dwellers and among socioeconomic groups. As in most developing countries, the rural residents or those of lower socioeconomic status are disadvantaged in terms of access to communication tools and health information in general. This report provides insights into how development practitioners should craft their health campaigns.

Read Full Report (pdf)

Read Chapters

Chapter 1 The General Health Landscape: an overview of self-reported health status and level of access to health services, and variations by socioeconomic groups;

Chapter 2 Health Information Gathering and Sharing: general access to and use of health information, as seen through the prism of the rural-urban divide and the gender gap in Tanzania;

Chapter 3 HIV/AIDS Education: A Demand for Better Information, with a focus on vulnerable populations;

Chapter 4 Malaria Education: Tapping Into All Means of Outreach, exploring the rural-urban divide and the gender gap;

Chapter 5 Family Planning And Maternal And Child Health: The Need for a Holistic Approach, with a focus on reproductive-age women;

This report draws from a nationally representative survey of Tanzanian individuals, (n=2,003), conducted in July 2010. The survey included modules on access to information sources generally as well as access to information about health-related issues, plus questions about trust in various information sources and use of word-of-mouth networks to stay informed about health issues. The survey was based on face-to-face interviews and covered all regions of the country.

For more information contact:

David Montez
Email: montezd@intermedia.org
Phone: 202-652-2271

Peter Goldstein
Email: goldsteinp@intermedia.org
Phone: 202.434.9584

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