Testimony on the MPH Course

MY EXPERIENCE AT MAASTRICHT UNIVERSITY
Dr. Bwire Chirangi, MPH
Alumnus of Class 2007/8

Our twelve months of Master of Public Health (MPH) course was packed with international atmosphere. From this course, I acquired interdisciplinary knowledge and skills as well as widening my personal worldview and global linkages.

The course contents widened and sharpened my understanding on very substantial subjects ranging from the Evolution of MPH; Epidemiology & Determinants of Health; Health & Culture; Health Policies; Health Economics; Management of Healthcare Organisations; Needs assessment, Health Planning & Promotion to Public Health Research.

I liked and very much enjoyed a variety of training tools and effective teaching methodologies that included lectures, seminars, presentations and in-depth discussions. Apart from the openness and high quality expertise of members of the Faculty, Maastricht University has a highly equipped resource centre that is globally linked physically and electronically with other libraries and academic worthy literatures.


Today my reasoning as well as my approaches on public health issues has been sharpened not only towards effectiveness s but also about offering equitable, humane and efficient health services to the public. The Course has further helped me to translate the theoretical education I acquired into a practical research field study on ‘quality of health services’- a case study of my own work place in Tanzania.

My contact with Maastricht University has also produced a memorandum of understanding with collaborating agreement between the University and my country (Tanzanian) hospitals where Students of the Faculty of Health, Medicine & Life Science of Maastricht University will have opportunity (if they wish) to carry their practical elective studies in accordance with their curriculum requirements.

It is my high expectations that while they are in Tanzania, they will gain knowledge as well as enjoy the warmly welcoming peoples’ culture in a land full of magnificent flora and fauna. Of course, the host Hospitals shall have relatively reciprocal benefits from receiving guest medical students.

KAZI INAENDELEA !

PROBLEM STATEMENT

Majority of Mara residents like those of other developing countries are characterized with poor health status, which is also a causal-effect element of the overall poverty.
Among different causative factors, poor and inadequate health services are major factors in the region. This is due to mainly a combination of insufficient human resources, inadequate medical supplies & equipment and too much workload to few available Health Facilities to respond to diverse individual and community health related needs.

BELOW ARE PICTURES OF THE PRESENT CONTINUED WORK OF THE PROPOSED BETHSAIDA HEALTH FACILITY TO CONTRIBUTE IN RESPONDING TO THE IDENTIFIED PROBLEM.

"Friendship is a Single Soul Dwelling in Two Bodies"

Katika uzinduzi rasmi wa Kanda ya Afika ya ICSU.(http://www.icsu-africa.org/) September 2005,

Prof. Dr. Sospeter Muhongo wa Nyawayega

Mwanasayansi Mahiri na Mkurugenzi Mfawidhi wa ICSU-Kanda ya Afrika anadodosa Malengo ya Asasi hii ya Kimataifa, Hali ya Bara letu la Afrika na changamoto zinazotukabili.

(Ukipenda kupata muhtasari wa wasifu wa Mtanzania huyu kiongozi, bofya hapa: http://www.icsu-africa.org/icsuafricabios.htm#muhongo)

SEHEMU YA HOTUBA YAKE:

The Harsh Reality

About 40% of Sub-Saharan Africa (ca 250 million people) lives in absolute poverty

Akihitimisha hotuba hiyo ya ufunguzi, kiongozi huyu alimnukuu gwiji wa Falsafa na Mwanasayansi Aristotle (384KK -322KK) akisema,
"...friendship is a single soul dwelling in two bodies"

Hivyo basi sote kama Waafrika, ingawa tuna miili na nasaba anuwai ni vema tuwe marafiki kwa kunia mamoja kwa roho moja (with a single soul) ya kufanya Tafiti na kutumia Sayansi endelevu kwa ajili ya kuboresha Afya na Maisha yetu kwa ujumla!

UKIRI WA CHIRANGI

Musuto wa Mutaragara wa Chirangi wa Muhongo wa Nyawayega wa Rihu, Omumbogo mwenye asili ya rasi ya Kumusoma gwa Nyambita

Namuaminia[1] mnyama wa kisiasa mmoja, mzee wa busara aliyewaacha Wanasiasa, Wanahistoria na Wahabarishaji midomo wazi.

Nawatunuku pia Wapigania-Haki wengine kama vile Chifu Mkwavinyika Munyigumba Mwamuyiga, Martin Luther King, Julius Kambarage Nyerere, MamaTereza wa Calcutta, Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, Bibi Aung San Suu Kyi wa Myanmar na wengine wote walio mifano kwetu.

Alizaliwa katika kijiji cha Qunu karibu na Umtata, Transkei. Rolihlahla akakua akiwasikiliza Wazee na akafundwa chini ya utamaduni asilia katika ufukwe wa mto Bashee zamani za Utawala wa Kiimla na Ubaguzi wa Rangi.

Katika harakati za Umkhonto we Sizwe na mchango wake dhidi ya utawala wa Makaburu, akachukiwa, akasingiziwa makosa ya kiuhaini, akashitakiwa na kufungwa kifungo cha maisha katika gereza la wafungwa sugu na lenye ulinzi wa hali ya juu kuliko yote.

Msimamo wake haukuyumbishwa na mpango wa kupewa takrima yenye ndoano, eti awekwe huru kinamna huku watu wake wanaendelea kutaabika.

Siku ya uhuru ikawadia, baada ya muda wa yapata miongo mitatu, akaachiwa huru akatoka katika harufu mbaya, mateso na upweke. Wananchi wakarejea katika demokrasia na haki; uchaguzi ukaitishwa.

Ndipo aliyekuwa mfungwa wa kisiasa alipoibuka mshindi kwa kura nyingi. Akaingia Ikulu akaketi katika kiti chaUraisi.

Akaongoza nchi, lakini kinyume na matarajio ya wengine, pia akawasamehe na kuwashirikisha Wabaya wake.

Pamoja na mamlaka aliyopata na kutunukiwa Mali, Ukazi wa Kimataifa, Shahada, Medali na Tuzo nyingi mbalimbali ikiwemo ya Amani ya Nobeli na hata jina lake kutambulisha barabara, tuzo na majumba katika Mabara yote Duniani bado aliendelea kuwa mtu wa watu, muungwana asiye na kiburi wala dharau.

Ninapenda kusimama katika Usawa, Haki, Demokrasia na Umoja uletao Ufanisi. Kwa vile Jitihadi haiondoi kudura, namwomba Mungu anisaidie niige mfano huu wa muasisi Nelson Mandela katika hali yangu nichaguapo viongozi, nigombeapo uongozi au nikabidhiwapo dhamana ya kuongoza.

Pasi kilinge nachukia hasilani maisha ya Ufalisayo yaliyokubuhu uzandiki na uburuzaji wa wanyonge.

Nakereketwa kutafuta, kujenga na au kurejesha amani popote nitakapokuwa.

Nina heshimu uongozi shirikishi wenye ushawishi mwanana unaojali utu wa mwana- adamu uliopitishwa katika tanuru la michakato ya kisayansi, maadili ya kitaaluma na utamaduni uliokubalika kwa ajili ya maendeleo ya kweli ya mwanadamu.

Ada ya mja hunena muungwana ni kitendo Mungu nisaidie nitende sasa na hata milele.

Nyamuwanga nunsakile kajanende na kajanende!

[1] Tofauti na neno Namuamini, hapa ni kuwa na uhakika wa utendaji wa mtu na sio kumtukuza kama MUNGU

wa- CHIRANGI AWAONDOLEA UVIVU WENYE VIBURI HASI

'KIBURI HASI NI KIKWAZO KIKUBWA KATIKA MAISHA YA MWANADAMU NA MAENDELEO YAKE POPOTE'.

HII NI SEHEMU YA KWAZA YA HOTUBA YA MUSUTO wa- CHIRANGI AKIWAASI

WANA-SERENGETI JUU YA MADHARA YA KIBURI HASI.'

BETHSAIDA CENTRE FOR HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT

UZIO WA 'THE HOUSE OF BETHSAIDA ' MAHALA AMBAPO PANATARAJIWA KUWA KITUO CHA AFYA KWA AJILI YA WANANCHI KATIKA MANISPAA YA MUSOMA SIKU ZA USONI.

HII NI HATUA MOJAWAPO YA KUMUENZI BABA MUTARAGARA CHIRANGI KWA KAZI YAKE YA HUDUMA KWA WANANCHI.

MAANDALIZI YATAKIWAYO YANAENDELEA KWA MUJIBU WA TARATIBU ZINAZOPASWA.

Imetolewa kwa hisani ya mpiga hizi picha P.Mamuya.