Anastasia Tracy, clinical assistant professor and director of the Diagnostic Medical Sonography program, continued her global medical imaging service this past summer in Moshi, Tanzania, at the base of Mount Kilimanjaro, and she also returned in May. Working with RAD-AID International, Tracy supported imaging education and clinical care at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre, one of the country’s major tertiary referral hospitals.
Tanzania, home to nearly 70 million people and more than 120 ethnic groups, faces significant healthcare access challenges. While Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre is a 600-bed referral center providing advanced surgical care, critical care, MRI, CT and comprehensive diagnostic services, distance remains one of the largest barriers to care. Many patients travel over an hour to reach the hospital, often presenting late in the course of disease.
For Tracy, the Tanzanian medical center marked a shift from some of her previous service locations. In earlier projects in Laos and Liberia, US based travel medicine recommendations included evacuation plans in case of serious illness or injury. In Tanzania, the designated “emergency hospital” was the very facility where she would be working — a reflection of KCMC’s regional importance and capabilities.
Tracy focused on ultrasound education. The department runs five ultrasound machines continuously from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and supports a formal in-country training program that enrolls eight students per year, each selected from a different region of Tanzania to help expand imaging access across the country. Learners come from diverse professional backgrounds, including nursing, radiography and medicine, and are trained to bring diagnostic imaging skills back to their communities.
Residents and students requested additional training in scrotal, carotid and venous Doppler, FAST trauma exams, breast imaging and pediatric ultrasound. Tracy delivered hands-on instruction, competency assessments and case-based teaching in these areas, while reinforcing foundational skills such as image optimization, Doppler use, and standardized scanning protocols. She also donated educational materials for radiography, extending support beyond ultrasound.
While the technical capabilities at Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Centre are impressive, resource limitations shape daily practice. Medical professionals understand infection prevention procedures, but supplies such as soap, probe cleaning materials, gloves and gel are tightly rationed. Because trans-vaginal probes cannot be adequately disinfected, the service is not offered, making some gynecologic diagnoses more challenging. Equipment wear is another issue, as high patient volumes and limited repair options lead to damaged probes and cables that affect image quality.
The clinical cases Tracy encountered highlighted global health disparities. Conditions rarely seen in the United States, such as iodine-deficiency goiter, remain common in regions where nutritional deficiencies persist. She also saw anencephaly, a severe neural tube defect when the fetal spinal cord or brain fails to close completely, which is typically identified early in pregnancy in high-resource settings. In Tanzania, many patients present for their first ultrasound in the third trimester, limiting opportunities for early diagnosis and counseling. Malaria and sickle cell disease, which are relatively rare or highly managed in the U.S., are routine considerations in patient care.
Despite challenges, Tracy noted the dedication of local learners and physicians. Radiologists provide strong didactic teaching but often work additional jobs to earn a living wage, limiting time for hands-on technical supervision. Students and residents showed eagerness to improve. Structured competency assessments, protocol reinforcement and targeted training led to measurable skill gains during her visit.
RAD-AID’s Tanzania initiative extends beyond Moshi, supporting imaging education and service development at additional sites in Arusha, Mwanza, Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar. Tracy’s work contributes to long-term capacity building, helping develop sustainable training systems rather than short-term service alone.
Alongside the clinical work, Tracy experienced the cultural richness and natural beauty of the region, including views of Mount Kilimanjaro from the hospital grounds. These experiences, paired with the clinical realities she witnessed, continue to shape how she teaches Boise State students about global health, resource stewardship and the role of medical imaging in improving outcomes worldwide.
With four service trips to Laos, once to Liberia, and now once to Tanzania, Tracy’s ongoing partnership with RAD-AID reflects Boise State’s expanding impact in global health education and the critical role imaging professionals play in addressing healthcare disparities.