Clinical Officers are health care providers very similar to Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners in the United States.

G4TZ Clinical Officer students at Machame Clinical Officer Training College near Moshi, TZ

As a Physician Assistant who practices family medicine in Richmond, Virginia, I am proud to work on the front lines of American health care.  I treat diabetes, hypertension, heart disease, obesity, and everything in between. Here in the United States, Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners are already helping ease the shortage of primary care physicians. Nonetheless, our physician per capita ratio is still dramatically higher here than it is in developing countries like Tanzania where there is only one doctor for every 100,000 people compared to the U.S. where we have 242 doctors per 100,000 (Source: WHO). We are fortunate to have quick and easy access to doctors, clean hospitals, and a vast array of medications and surgical treatments.

CO student Elizabeth Delles with patient at Machame Hospital

The situation is far different in rural Tanzania, where patients sometimes wait weeks for emergency care that we would expect to receive in hours. Hospitals are few and far between and are typically short-staffed with few supplies. An individual health care provider might treat as many as 90 patients in one day-with no assistance or back up from other staff. While visiting Tanzania in 2008, I witnessed these stark realities first hand. I learned that the best way to combat this problem is to educate smart, young, and motivated Tanzanians to fill these gaps in the health care system. I am pleased to be working with an organization that is doing just that.

Clinical Officers are trained to diagnose and treat all types of medical problems, and they are especially helpful in treating common yet serious diseases such as malaria, HIV/AIDS, and malnutrition. Some are trained to provide important, life-saving surgical procedures like cesarean sections and appendectomies. Clinical officers save lives and provide quality health to thousands of Tanzanians.  Yet, many more are desperately needed immediately!

Godparents for Tanzania is currently supporting the education of six clinical officer students. They train for three years at an approximate cost of $3,000 per year.  By providing the opportunity for these motivated students to study clinical medicine, we are ensuring that more Tanzanians will receive quality health care in the years to come.