THE Ministry of Health and Social Welfare plans to establish a nursing directorate as a means to improve the contribution of nursing to the delivery of healthcare services in the country.

Acting Permanent Secretary and Director of Policy and Planning in the ministry, Ms Regina Kikuli told 'Daily News' where she also revealed that a delegation of nursing experts and other professionals from the US are visiting the country.

She also hinted that a US-based consortium will provide technical assistance to the Tanzania Nursing Initiative (TNI), a health systems strengthening partnership project of the Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) School of Nursing.

"The ministry will continue to collaborate with the American International Health Alliance (AIHA) and Tanzania Nursing Initiative (TNI), especially in relation to nursing education," Ms Kikuli said.

Chief Nursing Officer, Mr Clavery Mpandana pointed out that the directorate will serve to improve supervision and oversight of nursing services while at the same time it will help to create a continuum between health centres and patients.

"This directorate will be headed by someone with a background in nursing. Not only will it shorten the decision-making hierarchy for nursing issues within the ministry, but it will also play a key role in building the capacity of various nursing units," he said.

"Our US partners bring to the table a vast professional network, years of expertise and a wealth of resources that will open up new opportunities to reinforce the success of the programme," said Dr Thecla Kohi, TNI Principal Investigator and a senior lecturer at Muhimbili School of Nursing.

"This initiative is not only an opportunity for cultural and knowledge exchange for faculty and students in our respective institutions, it represents a unique opportunity to elevate the standards of nursing globally," according to Winona State University Professor Dr Lisa Shnepper.

"I feel privileged to work in a model where partners can learn from each other and work together to improve public health in both our countries," said Sandra McCormick, President and Chief Executive Officer of World Services of La Crosse. "It is important to point out that TNI's four pillar model to improve nursing care is one that nurses in the United States can learn from and find ways to implement," she stressed.