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Support a
Clincial Officer
G4TZ Clinical Officer graduate, David Sabas, with his sponsor.
Gifts to help sponsor a Clinical Officer may be in any amount. Sponsors contribute to the Clinical Officer Training Fund to provide the needed $3,500 per year for the three years required to complete CO training.
To help sponsor a CO, click the Donate Now button below for our online donationa page,
or send your gift to:
Godparents for Tanzania
P.O. Box 20221
Roanoke, VA 24018
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What is a Clinical Officer?
A Clinical Officer is a midlevel health care provider similar to the Physician Assistants and Nurse Practitioners of the United States. After completing a 3 year advanced degree program, they are able to begin providing health care to a much needed Tanzanian population where according to the World Health Organization (WHO), there is on average only 0.1 physicians per 10,000 people. (there are 27 physicians per 10,000 people in the US) 1
“The cost-effectiveness of using substitutes (CO’s) and their relative retention within countries and in rural communities underlies their advantages to African health systems. Some studies comparing clinical officers and doctors show minimal differences in outcomes to patients. Specialized substitutes (CO’s) provide services in disciplines such as surgery, ophthalmology, orthopedics, radiology, dermatology, anesthesiology and dentistry, demonstrating a general bias of use for clinical services.” 2
Training of a CO takes 3 years and costs about $3,500 per year versus training a Physician which takes 5 years and costs about $8,000 per year. We have many interested Tanzanian students awaiting funding to become a CO and then live and practice in their country.
By investing in these students we are investing in the lives of countless Tanzanians who, with the help of these future CO’s, will lead healthier more productive lives.
1. See theWorld Health Organization's Health Profile for Tanzania.
2. For more information on mid-level health professionals in Africa, please see this article by Delanyo Davlo in Human Resources for Health.
Clinical Officers: Why you should become one.
by Jessica Marie Utt, PA-C Family Medicine, US
"We honor these dedicated medical professionals and their
essential roles in providing diagnostic, therapeutic and
preventive healthcare services to millions of Americans"
U.S. President Barack Obama.
This is a quote directly from Obama when addressing the United States in a discussion about how Physician Assistants contribute to the health care system. Physician Assistants in the US are just like Clinical Officers in Tanzania. Our training and career description is very similar and we both have the same goal: to dedicate our careers to providing high quality health care. We work with Physicians as a team, but due to a lack of health care providers across the world, we realistically are on our own. Our patients rely on us to heal them.
The health care system in the world is fast becoming bankrupt. We cannot sustain training expensive providers and expect to keep up with the world’s health care needs. There is a shortage of highly skilled providers in Tanzania. Clinical Officers are part of this group. By accepting scholarship money to become a CO you will help reduce this shortage.
The benefits of becoming a CO are numerous:
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Your training is faster and less expensive than the training of a Physician.
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Your medical school education is similar to that of a Physician’s, but slightly more focused on what is essential to the health of Tanzania.
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Upon graduation you will be able to perform most things that a Physician can perform including ordering tests, performing procedures, and diagnosing diseases.
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You will supervise providers below you and be responsible for your patient’s treatment. You will fast become a leader in your region and respected for your capabilities.
The data that you are needed is endless. The International Training and Education Center for Health, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Tanzania, the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and the US government are currently working on increasing enrollment of Tanzanian CO students because of the widely held recognition of COs importance to health care. By accepting this incredible gift to become a Clinical Officer you are enlisting as an officer to the world’s health care army. Together we will lead the
world to a healthier and more educated future.
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