The Directorate of Research, Partnership, and Community Services at SFUCHAS is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the Ifakara Innovation Hub (IIH) in nurturing the innovative potential of our medical and allied health sciences students at SFUCHAS. Through this partnership, students will benefit from IIH’s dedicated mentorship and support, enabling them to develop practical, impactful innovative solutions in healthcare.
We are currently in the final stages of formalizing this collaboration through MoU. We believe this strategic partnership will play a vital role in shaping the future of healthcare by equipping the next generation of professionals with the skills and mindset to drive innovation. The impact of IIH’s engagement will undoubtedly be seen in the growth and development of our future healthcare leaders.
The Directorate of Research, Partnership, and Community Services at SFUCHAS, had the distinct honor of serving as Secretariate member of the General Organizing Committee and General Overseers across several subcommittees for the 4th SFUCHAS Annual Scientific Conference, held on the 23rd (pre-conference) and 25–26th of June 2025 at Homeland Hall, Ifakara. With the theme: “Strengthening Resilient and Equitable Healthcare Systems for Better Health Outcomes,” This year’s conference served as a national platform for driving forward innovation, research, and policy dialogue in healthcare. We proudly welcomed over 300 participants, including professors, researchers, students, health professionals, policymakers, and innovators from across Tanzania and beyond Key achievement include;
1. Pre-Conference Community Outreach reached 247 Kilombero community members through eye screenings, general consultations, and blood donations. Tremendous thanks to SolidarMed, TTCIH, IHI, SFRRH Ifakara Town Council team for making this outreach a success.
2. Over 53 peer-reviewed abstracts presented (including 4 international).
3. Launch of the Dr. Ntuli Kapologwe Primary Healthcare Award Aspecial award to celebrate inspiring young researchers, innovators, and implementers in primary healthcare. Dr. Ntuli Kapologwe (DG- ECSA-Health Community) was well represented by Anodi Kaihula, General Manager THS Thanks to the creative work of our student-led teams and TAMSA SFUCHAS, we amplified awareness and participation far beyond the venue. Furthermore, we were honored by the presence of:
i. Prof. Daniel Mushi, Deputy Permanent Secretary – Ministry of Education, Science & Technology
ii. Dr. Mugisha Nkorongo, President – Medical Association of Tanzania
iii. Adv. Dunstan Kyobya, District Commissioner – Kilombero.
Our sincere gratitude to the SFUCHAS Management, led by Prof. Albino Kalolo, and to Prof. Nicholas Kavana, for their unwavering leadership and support. A heartfelt thank you to our main co-hosting institutions, SolidarMed, TTCIH, IHI, the SFUCHAS staff and students, and all the Ifakara Cluster Institutions for your commitment and generous contributions that made this conference truly impactful. Special appreciation to our sponsors:
i. Gold Sponsors: INQABA, Girl Effect
ii. Silver Sponsors: Homeland Hall, CUHAS, KVTC
iii. Custom Sponsors: NNF, Afya Hour Podcast, MEGA WE CARE, RBA Initiative, and many others. We look forward to continuing this important journey with all of you as we prepare for the 5th SFUCHAS Annual Scientific Conference.
Was a pleasure connecting with our colleagues from Haydom Lutheran Hospital management, researchers, and friends—following the 4th Annual SFUCHAS Scientific Conference. During this post-conference engagement, we explored promising opportunities for collaboration in research, training, and community service.
As part of their visit, the team had the opportunity to tour several institutions within the Ifakara Cluster. In addition to SFUCHAS, they visited IHI, SFRRH, TTCIH, SolidarMed, and GSCH. These visits provided valuable insights into the work being done across the cluster and highlighted existing partnerships in the health sector.
We trust the experience was both enriching and inspiring. On behalf of the Office of the Acting Director of Research, Partnership, and Community Services, we warmly welcome all who are interested to visit Ifakara and discover more about our collaborative environment and impactful initiatives.
Special gratitude from Ally Mwambela-SFUCHAS MD student @ MUHAS Win and Learn Academic event, research category winner.
It is with great honor and joy that we witness the official signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between SFUCHAS and the Provisional Charitable Foundation (PCF), headquartered in Canada.
This partnership has flourished for more than 13 years, and today we celebrate the impactful outcomes of this collaboration with the signing of two new MoUs. The main focus of our continued partnership is to strengthen community-based initiatives by establishing sustainable projects and supporting postgraduate students, with priority given to SFUCHAS and Ifakara Cluster staff.
Through this collaboration, we envision mutual benefits: for PCF, a community-based organization, the achievement of its mission to uplift underserved rural communities; and for SFUCHAS, the expansion of its impact within the community while enabling staff to further their education.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the many future opportunities with PCF. For now, we will concentrate on projects in oral health and maternal health, which we believe will bring lasting benefits to our rural communities and the entire Ifakara Cluster.
Prof. Albino Kalolo- PRINCIPAL SFUCHAS and Dr Claus Thomas- Ag. Director of Reseearch Partnership and Community Services representing SFUCHAS at an important stakeholder meeting held on 21st August, at Hydom- Mbulu district, celebrating the tremendous achievements of the Safer Birth Bundle of Care (SBBC) project at Hydom- Lutheran Hospital Mbulu.
Phase I of SBBC has already shown remarkable results, and now Phase II has expanded to five regions of Tanzania, with clear evidence of impact:
40% reduction in perinatal deaths
75% reduction in maternal deaths
17% reduction in perinatal deaths across 142 facilities
The program has also taken a bold step forward, entering the early stages of implementation in Nigeria and Ethiopia.
As SFUCHAS, we are proud to contribute to this initiative through various roles, including supervision of PhD students and ensuring evidence-based decision-making in the project’s implementation. On 20th August, we attended presentations from SBBC 10 PhD students ( 7 from Tanzania and 3 from Norway) and engaged in insightful discussions with the team.
The meeting’s central agenda was to explore ways of ensuring the scalability and sustainability of the SBBC project. Key stakeholders, partners, and collaborators shared their insights, including representatives from:
Hydom Lutheran Hospital (our host), SFUCHAS, IHI, MUHAS, KCMC, KU, UNICEF, WHO, Laerdal, Global Financing Facility, TAMA, PAT, Helse Stavanger, AGOTA, Ministry of Health Tanzania, PORALG, Nigerian Ministry of Health
Norwegian Church Aid, ECSA- Health Community and so many other partners.
This platform brought together a rich network of expertise, perspectives, and collaboration in Haydom.
Beyond the formal sessions, we had the wonderful opportunity to visit the Hydom Cultural Centre, where we learned about the four linguistic groups represented in the area (Nilotic, Kushitic, Khoisan, and Bantu). We were inspired by the role of Hydom Lutheran Hospital in attracting and sustaining diverse communities through reliable health services, while also preserving cultural heritage.
We are deeply grateful to Hydom Lutheran Hospital and the SBBC team for hosting us and for their commitment to safer births and healthier communities.
Looking forward to the next year’s annual stakeholder meeting and to continuing this impactful journey together.