Disability and rehabilitation in Tanzania: a review of the literature

Purpose. This scoping review outlines recently published information available about disability prevalence and management, as well as environmental conditions and the rehabilitation context in the country of Tanzania. The information is presented from diverse sources including research articles, government documents and reports from international development agencies. Method. Documents for this review were located using four search strategies; a search of electronic databases, contact with key informants, a reference list search of articles selected for review and a search of key websites. The documents were classified based on the format and focus of the material, while the information was organised into qualitative themes based upon the research objectives to present a descriptive overview on this topic. Findings. The findings of this study confirmed the lack of information available about the profile of disabilities, with evidence suggesting that disabilities are not satisfactorily managed in Tanzania; however, environmental conditions were found to be well documented. Several environmental supports and barriers for people with disabilities were described. Conclusion. The findings of this review indicate a need to further develop rehabilitation service provisions in Tanzania to improve the management of disabilities.