Teaching health workers in Tanzania to support sexual and reproductive health for people with disabilities
Training Healthcare Professionals to Address Reproductive Health for Persons with Disabilities in Tanzania
This project trains Tanzanian healthcare students and clinicians to better meet the sexual and reproductive health needs of people with disabilities so care is more respectful and useful.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | University of Minnesota NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Minneapolis, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11175414 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
From a patient's point of view, researchers are running culturally relevant training sessions for nursing, midwifery, and medical learners to improve how they talk about and deliver sexual and reproductive care to people with disabilities. The training was adapted from PAHO/WHO guidance and shaped for use in Tanzania, and it is being delivered and tested using a randomized approach at Muhimbili University and nearby clinics. The team is measuring whether the training changes provider behavior and readiness to include people with disabilities in routine reproductive health services. Early work showed the training is acceptable and feasible, and this project expands that work to more learners and clinical settings.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: The ideal participants for the project are Tanzanian healthcare students and clinicians who provide sexual and reproductive health services to people with disabilities.
Not a fit: People who do not attend clinics where trained providers work, or who live outside the Tanzanian implementation area, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from this specific project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, people with disabilities in Tanzania could receive more knowledgeable, inclusive, and accessible sexual and reproductive health care from trained providers.
How similar studies have performed: Related provider-training programs have improved knowledge and attitudes elsewhere, but formal randomized trials of reproductive health training focused on people with disabilities in sub‑Saharan Africa are novel.
Where this research is happening
Minneapolis, United States
- University of Minnesota — Minneapolis, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Mark, Kristen Patricia — University of Minnesota
- Study coordinator: Mark, Kristen Patricia
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.