Tanzania is one of the priority countries of the Swiss developement cooperation SDC. The engagement of Switzerland reached more than 30 Million Swiss francs in 2012. This is one reason why the Swiss president of the National parliament, Ms Maya Graf, has visited Tansania this fall accompanied by her family.
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI)
After official meetings with political representatives and representatives of SDC in Dar es Salaam, Maya Graf headed to Ifakara to visit the Ifakara Health Institute (IHI, the former Swiss Tropical Institute Field Laboratory).
IHI, that is under a co-responsability of the Swiss Tropical und Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), is a research institution existing for more than 50 years. Switzerland is continuing to support IHI in the period 2013-2016 with support from Swiss Agency for Developement and Coorporation (SDC) and the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SERI).
Peter Sasse also has shown Ms Graf the reconstruction plans of St. Francis Spital.
On her visit of the Kilombero valley, Maya Graf was also accompanied by Philippe Schwab, the general secretary of the Swiss National assembly. 
Health Promotion and System Strengthening HPSS, Dodoma Region
Two days later, the delegation headed to Dodoma, where currently the HPSS-project for the promotion and strengthening of health systems is implemented by Swiss TPH. SDC is financing this high-profile project aiming at giving the rural community access to a new community health fund.
The delegation was accompanied also by Olivier Chave, the Swiss ambassador in Tansania and his wife; Geraline Zeuner the local SDC director in Tansania; and a representative of the Foreign ministery of Tanzania.
The delegation visited Hombolo in the rural surrounding of Dodoma. A women-drum combo and official village and district representatives gave a very warm welcome. Maya Graf could then follow the enrollement of a family in the 'Community Health Fund' with the aid of a mobile phone. The Swiss president of parliament showed excitement over the involvement of high-tech mobile phone technology in this rural setting for health services.
This was followed by a visit of a health dispensary, where a medical officer demonstrated the identification of a patient with his mobile phone. He scanned the QR-code on the patients member card to get the patient information out of the Insurance Management Information System (IMIS).
Maya Graf expressed her gratitude for her warm welcome. And she explicitely showed her appreciation of the work done by the HPSS-project team and Swiss TPH.
Further information:
More on the HPSS Project inkl. videos:
HPSS Project
Homepage Maya Graf:
www.mayagraf.ch