If a doctor or nurse becomes sick, she can infect patients or become unable to work. And in Tanzania, and other countries where health care workers are scarce, the loss of one doctor or nurse means that thousands of people won’t get the care they need.

The risk is real: In the developing world, it’s not unusual for a hospital worker to suffer four needle sticks a year.

AmeriCares safety programs are protecting health care workers from needle sticks and other accidents—an essential step in improving health care in the world’s poorest countries. Already, more than 1,500 hospital workers in India and Tanzania have adopted crucial safety practices, and AmeriCares will soon be expanding the program.

Health Worker Safety in Tanzania

In response to a request for help from the hospital staff at Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania, AmeriCares developed a comprehensive Health Worker Safety Initiative to help protect the hospital’s employees from infection and injury. Learn more about the successful program at Bugando.

Health Worker Safety in India

In India, AmeriCares provides vaccinations, medical supplies, safety education and emergency preparedness training for doctors, nurses and health workers at hospitals and clinics. Learn more about our efforts to support health worker safety in India.

Training Modules

Through the Health Worker Safety Initiative, AmeriCares and Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) worked with Tanzania’s Ministry of Health and Social Welfare to develop a training curriculum for promoting workplace safety at BMC.  The eight-module training package and reference guide reflect best practices in occupational safety in healthcare settings, and can be adapted to a variety of clinical settings to improve health workers’ ability to protect themselves and their patients from hospital hazards and infection.  This training curriculum was implemented at BMC through the Health Worker Safety Initiative pilot, through which over 1,200 BMC health workers were trained by 40 peer trainers in best practices for occupational safety and infection prevention and control.

 Health Worker Safety Training Module 1: Infection Prevention and Control  (959 KB)

The importance of infection prevention and control, Causes of infections, Standard precautions against infections, Hand hygiene, Antiseptics and disinfectants, Personal protective equipment (PPE), Handling sharps

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 2: Post-Exposure Prophylaxis  (397 KB)

What is PEP?, Infectious body fluids, Types of exposures requiring PEP, PEP procedure, HIV Exposure, HBV Exposure, HCV Exposure, Toxicity and drug interactions

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 3: Health Care Waste Management  (176 KB)

What is health care waste?, Safer handling of hazardous waste, Waste segregation, Waste collection, Waste storage, Final waste disposal

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 4: Laboratory Safety  (216 KB)

Best practices for laboratory safety, Hazardous chemical/substance spills, Chemical storage, Standard lab safety equipment

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 5: Fire Prevention and Fire Safety  (298 KB)

Workplace fire hazards, Fire prevention measures, Fire emergencies and evacuation, Responding to fires

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 6: Electrical Safety  (370 KB)

Introduction, Key definitions, Causes of electric shock, Dangers of electric shock, Electrical burns, The Electrical Safety Model

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 7: Medical X-Ray Safety  (252 KB)

Introduction, Protection from X-ray Hazards, X-ray Safety for Health Workers, X-ray Safety for Patients

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 Health Worker Safety Training Module 8: Safety in the Use of Chemicals  (235 KB)

How chemicals enter the human body, Effects of chemicals on the human body, Managing exposure to chemicals, Safe management of chemicals

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 HWSI: A Guide for Workers in the Hospital Setting  (1.61 MB)

Bugando Medical Centre's Standard Hospital Guidelines for Health Workers’ Safety

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On the Front Lines of Health Care

A hospital in the developing world can be a risky place to work. Many patients have infectious diseases such as HIV, tetanus and hepatitis B. Just one jab with a used needle can mean a lifetime of disease for a doctor, nurse or medical attendant. Since 2008, AmeriCares has been helping workers at Bugando Medical Center in Mwanza, Tanzania, make their jobs safer. Read stories of health care workers:

On the Front Lines of Health: Taus Kajwangya and Domina Kayenze

On the Front Lines of Health: John Elikana

On the Front Lines of Health: Francisco Chibunda

Help us make more hospitals safer for health care workers and the patients who need them.