Dodoma - 04 March 2022: With more than 33,000 confirmed cases including 798 deaths due to COVID-19 in the United Republic of Tanzania, the World Health Organization has called on development partners and agencies for a renewed commitment to strengthen the country’s effort to urgently interrupt ongoing transmission. Such a renewed collective commitment among development partners would be a milestone in stepping up response to the pandemic.

At the monthly joint meeting between Troika of the Development Partners Group for Health (DPG Health) and the senior management of the Ministry of Health in Dodoma, the WHO Country Representative, Dr. Tigest Ketsela Mengestu said that it has become imperative for partners to renew their commitment to mount an invigorated fight against COVID-19 pandemic. WHO is the Secretariat to the DPG Health playing a brokering role and providing guidance on health matters.

“Although, Tanzania has taken COVID-19 very seriously ever since it was declared a pandemic and a public health emergency, the need for a renewed commitment, reinvigorated technical support and increased donations towards interrupting COVID-19 transmission is crucial to help the country reach the global target of 40% fully vaccinated population set for December 2021,” said Dr. Tigest.  

“Tanzania has an impressive routine immunization programme,” she continued, “so I am confident that if partners and the government work harder together, Tanzania can surprise the world by scaling up COVID-19 vaccination coverage and be on track to achieving the global target”.

Recently, WHO Country Office boosted the team of its public health experts in Tanzania with three additional experts as a demonstration of renewed commitment to upscale COVID-19 vaccinations in Tanzania mainland and Zanzibar. “With the deployment of three international public health experts to accelerate COVID-19 vaccine roll out in Tanzania, we look forward to an accelerated coverage in the coming months,” Dr. Tigest added. 

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Chair of the joint meeting, Professor Abel Makubi, reiterated Tanzania government’s commitment to   scale up COVID-19 vaccination and ensure that her citizens are protection from the pandemic.

 “Tanzania has reached more than three million people with COVID-19 vaccinations which represents about 4.5% of the target population for COVID-19 vaccination,” said Professor Makubi. But this is still far from the national target of 60% of fully vaccinated population by June 2022.  “The country is set to achieve the target but this requires the cooperation and support of the partners and donors”, he added.   

On 28 July 2021, Tanzania rolled out COVID-19 vaccination programme in the country.  Several months after the introduction, COVID-19 vaccines are available in all the 26 regions.

Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, WHO continue to work closely with the Government and partners within the Incident Management System (IMS) structure to contain the spread of the pandemic and decrease morbidity and mortality.

In addition to supporting roll out of COVID-19 vaccines, WHO plays a critical role in:

• Coordinating with national authorities, partners and non-governmental actors to implement COVID-19 response actions targeting the most vulnerable people and hard-to-reach communities
• Promoting global guidance on COVID-19 and support operational adaptation in line with country context
• Providing essential supplies and training for health workers and national/local partners
• Raising public awareness on COVID-19 risks and mitigation measures to protect communities and health workers
• Advocating for a multi-sectoral response to COVID-19, supporting other sectors to mainstream public health measures in their response
• Capturing operational practice and learning to inform the evolving COVID-19 response