Effectiveness of Communication and Compliance with WHO and Ministry of Health COVID-19 Guidelines in Tanzanian Healthcare Facilities

Background: COVID-19 is caused by SARS-CoV-2, which emerged in China in December 2019 and spread rapidly worldwide. In one year, more than 79.2 million people were infected and more than 1.7 million died. Method: A qualitative exploration survey of healthcare workers was conducted from August 24 to October 3, 2022, in the Dar es Salaam, Arusha, Dodoma, and Mwanza regions. About 96 healthcare workers from 24 health facilities participated in the study. Individual and key informant interviews were recorded using the Kobo Toolbox, and the data were analyzed using thematic analysis. Results: Most participants said that healthcare facilities followed guidelines provided by the Ministry of Health of Tanzania which were not fully complied with the guidelines provided by the World Health Organization. In communication channels, almost all the healthcare workers said that the instructions came from the higher level authorities, especially the ministry was emphasizing orders of the government and the leaders at the districts level and regional level implemented orders given by the government even when they appeared to contradict the health welfare of the public. Conclusion: The study investigated poor compliance with WHO and Tanzanian Ministry of Health guidelines and ineffective communication, mainly affected by political or governmental orders. Therefore, Tanzania as a country should strengthen its political commitment to dealing with pandemic cases in the future.