I am Hussein Kidanto, I did my first degree in Medical Education in Marmara University, Turkey, and then a Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991. Thereafter, I joined the University of Dar es Salaam for a Masters in Medicine degree in Obstetrics and gynecology (1997-2000).

I have more than 20 years of clinical experience in the field of Obsterics and Gynaecology. Prior to joining Aga Khan University, Medical College in Dar es Salaam, in February 2018, I was a senior consultant in Obstetrics and Gynecology and Director of Maternal, Reproductive New born and adolescent health at the Tanzania’s Ministry of Health (2016-2018). I have also worked as the Executive Director, Muhimbili National Hospital in Tanzania (2014-2015).

My dream is to spearhead the Medical College, Dar es Salaam to be one of the best renowned medical facilities in Tanzania and the East African region, in line with Aga Khan University’s overall vision in Africa, which is producing health professional leaders through our training programs, building strong research programmes, supporting best practice in the delivery of health services, and contributing to the broader community through strategic partnerships. 

My main success is when the Medical College was able to host the Maternal Health Symposium in Dar es Salaam. The key milestone for the Medical College was that we were able to bring together key experts in maternal, reproductive and adolescents health sector to discuss and deliberate issues related to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 3 which is to “ensure healthy lives and promote wellbeing for all at all ages,” and the achievements of the Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

As with many other institutions, our main challenge has been budget constraints, hence, we cannot be able to adequately fund our key programmes that we have been planning to launch in Dar es Salaam. In addition, we also find ourselves in a unique situation where the Medical College is funded by the hospital and in such cases, the institution has its own priorities. However, we have to look at the brighter side of the coin and work with the resources that we have to ensure the success of the Medical College in Dar es Salaam.

The Medical College in Dar es Salaam currently has 3 programmes which are; Surgery, Internal Medicine and Family Medicine. We have been planning to expand the number of programmes starting with Obstetrics and Gynecology and I am glad to announce that we will kick-off in 2021 with 3 residents and 5 faculty members in Dar es Salaam. The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology will champion women's health and safety by providing current evidence-based solutions and excellence in education, research and provision of various quality health services in Tanzania. In addition, the Phase 2 expansion of the hospital has created an excellent learning environment for both our faculty and residents. In future, we intend to expand to more programmes.

Apart from the research grant on maternal health, which we received recently, we have also received funding from DANIDA and European Union and preparations are in top gear ahead of the official launch in January 2020. The two grants will address improved quality of care during labour and delivery with the ultimate goal of strengthening access to quality maternal care services and improve pregnancy outcome in Tanzania.

Our plan is to strengthen our research activities with the establishment of a fully-fledged research office in Dar es Salaam. In addition, we are also in the later stages of recruiting an epidemiologist who will assist with grant making and reinforce our faculties and resident dissertations methodology.