United Republic of Tanzania News

The World Health Organization (WHO) in collaboration with the Zanzibar Ministry of Health is supporting government-led efforts to strengthen the International Health Regulations (IHR) core capacities.

Mid-this year, WHO provided the Ministry of Health with medical supplies including hospital beds, personal protective equipment (PPE), patient monitors, office furniture and equipment for the Public Health Emergency Operations Center (PHEOC) in Zanzibar. The total cost of the donation was 95,657,500.00 Tanzanian Shillings equivalent to USD 41,992.

A promise of lowering malaria infection rate is evident in communities that benefit from phase two of the China-Tanzania Malaria project in Kibiti, Kilwa and Rufiji districts in Coast Region of Tanzania. Malaria is endemic in the three districts in the lower reaches of the Rufiji. More than 269,000 people are direct beneficiaries of the project.

The country office of the World Health Organization is the technical evaluator of the project, which is part of the global High Burden High Impact Initiative to roll back malaria.

In a bid to increase access to quality healthcare services, Zanzibar’s Ministry of Health recently launched its digital health strategic plan. The five year (2021 - 2025) strategic plan was launched by the Minister for Health, Honourable Hamad Rashid in Unguja. The Plan aims at improving the provision of safer, equitable, accessible, efficient, and effective health services at all levels through proper use of affordable digital health technologies.

Early in September, the Ministry of Health in Tanzania Mainland embarked on finalizing development of its National Multi-Sectoral Cholera Prevention and Control Plan (NMCPCP).  Adopting a multi-sectoral approach to fighting cholera, the plan identifies and strengthens the linkages among government departments, multi and bi lateral development partners, Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), whose actions contribute to the reduction of risk of cholera and prevention at local and national levels. 

 

Kigoma region has frequent population movements between neighboring countries including refugees and asylum seekers that frequently cross official and informal entry points and stay in camps and in the community.

Cultural proximity and economic activities that necessitate mingling of communities in Kigoma and neighboring countries increase the risk of disease importation and transmission.

In March 2020, when COVID-19 cases were identified in Tanzania the Government closed all education institutions, suspended sports, political rallies and international flights. However, since June the Government started easing restrictions.

The health system in Tanzania is integrating COVID-19 preventive services at districts’ health facilities and continuing other essential services, therefore moving from a centralized to a decentralized response for a better reach at community level.

Many public health events and emergencies and their associated risk factors could be prevented, or their effects mitigated. However, the health systems in most countries remain inadequate. To avert and mitigate the effects of health security risks and emergencies, countries are urged to implement Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines. These guidelines recommend thresholds for action on priority diseases, public health events and conditions and for responding to alerts. Using these action thresholds can be lifesaving.

Proper collection of samples from a human body and safely handling them to a testing laboratory is one of the key areas of response to outbreaks of highly infectious diseases, including COVID-19.  Earlier assessments by National Public Health Laboratory (NPHL) identified gaps in collection of COVID-19 samples, packaging and transportation to the NPHL.

Four months ago, Musa Adonicus Sambala declared himself a nonsmoker. But hours after deciding to kick the habit he bought himself a pack of 20 cigarettes and smoked 18 in six hours. He smoked compulsively. Inside remorse and self-pity burned him, he says.

Health care workers across Africa are boosting their emergency response skills to tackle COVID-19. Much is still being learned about the pandemic as measures are reinforced to contain rising infection in many countries in the continent. “We were in completely unchartered territory,” says Dr Abel Musa, a critical care specialist at a hospital in Zanzibar, after a recent online training.