United Republic of Tanzania News

Dar es Salaam, 20 February 2015 - The WHO Tanzania country office provided the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare equipment to strengthen Ebola and pandemic influenza preparedness in the country. Items handed over included: heavy duty personal protective equipment (PPEs ) for Ebola such as gumboots, heavy duty gloves and aprons, protective goggles, sprayers and cadaver bags, laboratory incubator, 10 computers, 10 UPS and 12 printers, all worth a total of US$ 46 070 equivalent to Tanzania Shillings 83 617 100.

Brazzaville/ Dar es Salaam, 19 May 2015 – A severe humanitarian crisis is developing in Tanzania as thousands of refugees from Burundi seek asylum due to escalating political tensions. The situation is especially worrisome in Kagunga village in Tanzania where the original population of 11 382 has increased to over 90 000 since the crisis began in April 2015.

Kagunga, 26 May 2015 – The ongoing cholera outbreak in western Tanzania appears to be improving thanks to intensive national and international efforts, but the risk of transmission remains high due to limited access to shelter, toilets, water and essential medical care. As of 25 May, the total number of cases diagnosed and treated was 4408 and no deaths have been reported between 21-24 May.

Kigoma, 28 May 2015 – As of 16 May 2015, a cholera outbreak was confirmed in the Kigoma region, on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, along the Tanzania border with Burundi. Cholera is endemic in the region, but due to a recent influx of thousands of Burundian refugees, overcrowding and poor sanitation, the situation got worse. As of 28 May 2015, a total of 4487 suspected cholera cases have been reported so far. 

Kigoma, 1 June 2015 – The number of suspected cholera cases has been dropping dramatically over the past few days, underlining the tremendous progress being made to bring the ongoing cholera outbreak under control in the Kigoma region, Tanzania. Rehydrating cholera patients, as well as isolating them, have been key to the progress made to date.

Karago, 4 June 2015 – Tanzania’s large-scale cholera outbreak is not solely confined to the thousands of Burundian refugees who fled insecurity at home. Local Tanzanians have also been infected with the water-borne disease, prompting scaled-up surveillance efforts by the World Health Organization (WHO) and health authorities to trace and stamp out any new cases.

Kigoma, 9 June 2015 –Tanzania’s cholera outbreak has prompted not just a large-scale health response to treat thousands of people, but also a scaling up of dis

Last week, 25 participants from districts across western Tanzania’s Kigoma region were trained on showing others to strengthen systems to detect and respond to outbreaks in the area, which has been at the centre of the recent cholera outbreak linked to Burundians refugees fleeing into this country.

The United Republic of Tanzania is one of 15 countries that is being supported by the Renewed Partnership, a collaborative initiative between the European Union (EU), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the African, Caribbean and Pacific Group of States (ACP), which aims to improve patient health outcomes, achieve health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and attain universal health coverage.

Kigoma, 18 June 2015 – The cholera risk remains high in villages around entry points for asylum seekers in Kigoma region, Western Tanzania. The daily influx of asylum seekers has caused the population in the Nyarugusu camp in Tanzania to swell to over 55 500.

Since the start of the outbreak on 10 May 2015, 4662 suspected/confirmed cholera cases and 34 deaths have been reported. Among these are 129 cases and 3 deaths among Tanzanians, mainly in Kagunga village, Kigoma urban and Karago village.

Dar es Salaam, 28 August 2015 - The WHO Tanzania Country Office provided the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare water treatment supplies and disinfectants to strengthen the Cholera Outbreak response in the country. Items handed over included: 1,000 cartons of Water Guard (2,400,000 tablets) and 100 litres of Cresol Saponated Liquid (LYSOL), all worth a total of US$ 21,130 equivalent to Tanzania Shillings TShs 42,260,000.