Numbers in the News — Digest #4
Data Zetu’s fourth digest of data-driven Tanzanian media stories
This blog post was published as part of the Data Zetu project. Data Zetu is now an initiative of the Tanzania dLab, a local NGO that promotes innovation and data literacy through a premier center of excellence. For more information about the dLab, visit www.dlab.or.tz. For more information about the Data Zetu project, visit www.irex.org.
Numbers in the News is a recurring post highlighting data journalism in Tanzania. Learn more in our first Digest here.
Media fellow Nuzulack Dausen reports that, currently, the leading cause of death in Tanzania is malaria, according to a workshop held in Mwanza aimed to pinpoint diseases and their effects on multiple communities (Swahili). The workshop intended to identify the diseases and encourage use of electronic systems to enhance the quality of health care in Tanzania.
The number of HIV positive people in Kyela and Mbarali districts in Mbeya is considerably high, particularly in pregnant women. Dausen reports that the number of infected people in the whole country has increased from 75 percent in 2010 to 84 percent last year. Despite these numbers, the government refuses to use these statistics provided by PEPFAR and UNAIDS to define their decision making.
Dausen also reports that the pay gap among genders in Tanzania could be a result of a difference in economic involvement between men and women (Swahili). The number of unemployed women exceeds that of men due to negative attitudes towards women and education. This negative attitude is also carried over into the workforce where employers prefer to hire men over women.
Although Tanzania’s initiative to provide free secondary school education is definitely praiseworthy, there are still other circumstances that need to be considered. Other factors such as crowded classrooms and abuse contribute to school drop outs and poor attendance. Media fellow Angel Navuri suggests that schools become more inclusive in order to provide quality education.
Below are more data-driven stories that emphasize Data Zetu’s priority sectors (health, economic growth, and gender equality):
- Zanzibar’s dark secret –Violence against women and children — The Guardian
- Councils have shocked CAG — Mwananchi (in Swahili)
- Lack of good healthcare is weakening the development in Nkasi — Mwananchi (in Swahili)
Data Zetu is a coalition of Tanzanian civic innovation organisations that aim to empower communities to make better, evidence-based decisions to improve their lives.
The coalition consists of Code for Tanzania (CfT), Sahara Sparks (SS) and the Tanzania Bora Initiative (TBI), with global expertise from SBC4D and IREX, funded by the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief(PEPFAR).
Data Zetu operates as part of the $21.8 million Data Collaboratives for Local Impact (DCLI) programme administered by the Millennium Challenge Corporation (MCC).
