Impact to Date

Since 2004, Touch has worked to improve access to health services in sub-Saharan Africa. Across three core programmatic pillars, our work has impacted the lives of over 60 million people. At the core of our impact is long-standing and collaborative partnership with governments, hospitals leaders, peer organizations, and communities.  Together with our partners, our achievements include:

27% DECREASE IN MATERNAL MORTALITY

in regions using m-mama for emergency referrals and transport

50.000 PREGNANT WOMEN AND NEWBORNS

transported annually in Tanzania and Lesotho by m-mama

OVER 33.000 HEALTHCARE WORKERS DEPLOYED WHERE NEEDED MOST

across 5 countries using  our WISN+POA tool

100% FINANCIAL SUSTAINABILITY

achieved at CUHAS, one of Tanzania’s top medical universities, with Touch’s support from 2004-2014.

INCREASING MD STUDENT ENROLLMENT

from 10 students in 2004 to nearly 1,000 students today at our flagship partner institution, the Catholic University of Health and Allied Sciences, now one of the largest medical schools in Tanzania

620,000 PATIENTS PROVIDED

with better quality care at Treat & Train Network health facilities

Impact Reports

Action Now on the Tanzanian Health Workforce Crisis: Expanding HRH – The Twiga Initiative (2009)

This report evaluates the status of health worker coverage and production in Tanzania, and offers practical ways for the government of Tanzania to invest in health worker training capacity – with the goal of doubling production within 7 years. The report provides analysis on progress made in HRH over the past 5 years, as well as action plans for adoption.

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Health Technology Management - Establishing Tanzania's 1st Centre of Excellence

It is estimated that 50% of all medical devices in sub-Saharan Africa are broken and out of service. This report highlights the results of an innovative partnership between one of Tanzania's largest hospitals and operational experts from a local Tanzanian brewery, who worked together to transfer best practices from the science of operations management and the private sector, to transform the medical engineering department at the Bugando Medical Center dramatically improving patient care for over 350,000 outpatients annuall

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Lessons From The M-mama Innovative Pilot Program In Shinyanga, Tanzania (2023)

This report documents the lessons learnt and best practices toward sustainability of the m-mama program for reducing maternal and newborn mortality in Tanzania.

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Community-based Transport System In Shinyanga Report (2023)

This report examines the cost-effectiveness of the community-based transportation system that is at the core of our m-mama program. It finds that the introduction of the m-mama emergency transportation system is more cost effective compared to standard ambulance system alone in the Shinyanga region of Tanzania and projects that lessons learned in scaling up the intervention will only improve its cost-effectivenss and outcomes.

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Acting Now To Overcome Tanzania’s Greatest Health Challenge: Addressing The Gap In Human Resources For Health (2004)

This report summarizes the findings from a 2004 field visit by a McKinsey team to Tanzania. The report introduces a three-pronged approach for addressing the country’s severe healthcare crisis.

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Investing In Tanzanian Human Resources For Health (2006)

This report, based on field research conducted by a joint Touch and McKinsey team, builds on the findings from McKinsey’s initial 2004 field visit to Tanzania. It focuses on training highly-skilled human resources for health as the primary lever for addressing the global healthcare crisis and provides a strategy for Touch Foundation to pursue.

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Catalyzing Change: Molecular Strengthening Of The Health System In The Tanzanian Lake Zone (2009)

The Tanzanian Minister for Health and Social Welfare asked us to assist his Ministry in scaling up healthcare worker training capacity at the national level. With the help of McKinsey & Company, we identified a baseline for current national training capacity and developed and prioritized initiatives intended to help the government achieve healthcare worker training goals.

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Catalyzing Change: Molecular Strengthening Of The Health System In The Tanzanian Lake Zone (2009)

This report demonstrates the necessity of complementing investments in healthcare worker training with initiatives to solve the problems of the larger health system itself, including factors such as recruitment, deployment, in-service support and development opportunities. This formed the basis of our Treat & Train Network of healthcare and educational institutions in the Lake Zone.

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Touch Foundation Impact Report (2012)

This report provides a deep-dive analysis of the achievements made from 2004-2012.

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Achievements, Approach And Path Forward (2013)

This report reviews the successes and positive impact the organization has had to date on health system strengthening in Tanzania. The report also discusses the programmatic priorities for Touch going forward.

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M-mama Infographic (2017)

This infographic summarizes the M-Mama program design and impact to date. Notably, the EmTS has decreased maternal mortality by 27% in two rural districts of Tanzania.

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M-mama Impact Report (2017)

This report analyzes the impact of M-Mama’s emergency transportation system (EmTS) on the health outcomes of mothers and newborns in rural Tanzania. It finds that the EmTS solution significantly reduces the maternal mortality ratio and is highly cost-effective.

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Treat & Train Full Report

The full version of the external evaluation provides the in-depth analysis of the outcomes and social and economic value of our Treat & Train clinical education program implemented in the Lake Zone of Tanzania.

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Treat & Train Executive Report

This external evaluation analyzes the outcomes and social and economic value of our Treat & Train clinical education program implemented in the Lake Zone of Tanzania. It finds that the program improved the quality of healthcare services, increased the willingness of students to work in rural underserved areas after graduation, and reduced the financial burden on patients.

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Rheumatic Heart Disease Final Report

In 2016, WHO reported that an estimated 33% of all deaths in Tanzania resulted from Noncommunicable Diseases, with 17% being from cardiovascular diseases including Rheumatic Heart Disease (RHD). Over a period of 5 years, we designed a blueprint for an RHD identification and referral program that empowers and supports people and communities affected by RHD. This reports explains and offers reflections on this 5-year program.

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