Aims

Background

Tanzania’s health professions education is facing major challenges. The country must respond to persistent infectious diseases, growing non-communicable diseases, and significant inequalities in access to care between urban and rural settings. At the same time, higher education institutions need stronger digital capacity, more innovative teaching methods, and training programmes that are better aligned with real health system needs.

BRIDGE was created to address these needs through a global health perspective. The project supports a more connected, practice-oriented, and future-ready model of education, able to prepare students, faculty, and healthcare professionals for today’s complex health challenges.

At the heart of BRIDGE is the creation of a Network for Excellence in Global Health Education in Tanzania, with two BRIDGE Hubs: one in Ifakara, with a focus on rural priorities, and one in Dar es Salaam, with a focus on urban health challenges. These hubs are intended as operational units for teaching, learning, collaboration, and capacity building in global health education.

General objective

The general objective of BRIDGE is to strengthen global health education in Tanzania and contribute to the development of a more prepared, resilient, and sustainable healthcare workforce, capable of addressing current and future health challenges in both rural and urban contexts.

Specific objectives

1. Establish a Network for Excellence in Global Health Education

BRIDGE will set up two operational hubs, in Ifakara and Dar es Salaam, to support training, collaboration, and long-term institutional development in global health.

2. Develop and deliver two structured training programmes

The project will design and launch a blended-learning CPD/CME course for healthcare professionals, including a MOOC, and a Summer School in Global Health for medical and healthcare students, using collaborative and international learning methodologies.

3. Strengthen institutional capacity for blended and digital learning

BRIDGE will support partner institutions through Learning Management Systems, hybrid learning classrooms, and faculty training in digital and interactive teaching methods.

4. Promote research collaboration on global health challenges

The project will encourage students and faculty to engage in knowledge-sharing and early research activities, with particular attention to urban-rural health disparities in Tanzania.

Looking ahead

BRIDGE is designed not only to deliver courses, but to build lasting academic capacity. By connecting institutions, disciplines, and local realities, the project aims to create a sustainable platform for innovation in global health education in Tanzania.