The World Health Organization has highlighted significant progress in improving access to assistive technology in Tanzania through its Learning on TAP blended learning initiative. Developed in collaboration with HelpAge Tanzania and supported by WHO, the programme trained 179 primary and community health workers in two districts of the Morogoro region to identify, refer, and provide assistive products using the Learning on TAP learning resource, which is available on the WHO Academy online platform.
The four-stage approach combines online learning, in-person sessions, mentored practice, and independent practice to strengthen the capacity of health workers in primary care and community settings.
Following the training, nearly 15,000 assistive products were distributed across 31 health facilities, and there was a 45 per cent increase in personnel involved in assistive technology provision at health centres. The pilot also mapped the assistive products needed at different levels of the health system, providing data for future supply chain planning and highlighting the importance of integrating assistive products into essential health product lists at the primary care level.
Learning on TAP has been piloted in multiple countries, including Fiji, India, Papua New Guinea, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Tajikistan, and Ukraine, demonstrating its adaptability to different contexts.
WHO emphasizes that in the Africa Region, over 200 million people need at least one assistive product — such as hearing aids, walking aids, wheelchairs, or near vision spectacles — but only 15–25 per cent currently have access. The initiative supports WHO’s Global Cooperation on Assistive Technology (GATE) strategy, aiming to strengthen health systems, expand service delivery, and improve equitable access to assistive products globally.
