September 2015 saw the launch of the exciting NJIA Leadership Development Programme in Kagera region, Tanzania. 

NJIA, meaning ‘path’ in Kiswahili, is a partnership between Pepal, an international pharmaceutical company, Tanzanian NGO MDH , the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoHSW) of Tanzania and Kagera Regional and District Health Administrations. The programme combines leadership development with social impact in the context of cervical cancer prevention in Tanzania. 

In addition to the leadership development training component, participants were tasked with applying these skills, their combined and diverse experience in healthcare to present a number of potential project interventions aimed at increasing access to cervical cancer services in Kagera region.

Projects are currently in the early development stage, but stay tuned for further updates on project progress in 2016 – there is a lot of exciting news on the horizon!           

The first NJIA workshop took place in the small city of Bukoba in Tanzania from Sunday 6 September 2015 to Friday 11 September, bringing together 28 participants from the Tanzanian healthcare sector alongside international senior managers.

Facilitated by McBride and Lucius, a leading US-based learning and development consultancy, participants took part in intensive leadership training aimed at equipping them with new approaches, ideas and confidence, as well as tools to improve team work, communication, personnel management and efficiency.

About cervical cancer in Tanzania

Tanzania has the highest reported number of cervical cancer cases in Eastern Africa, with 56,000 women dying of cervical cancer per year. Low cost, low technology screening and treatment can be delivered at the primary health care level and save lives. However, currently this treatment is not readily accessible to many. Improving access to early detection and preventative interventions for women in Tanzania is a key long-term aim of the NJIA partnership