United Republic of Tanzania News

Dar es Salaam, 10 December 2015 - The WHO Tanzania country office provided the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare equipment to strengthen disease surveillance, nutrition and maternal and child health care services in the country.

Dar es Salaam, 10 December 2015 – Tanzania's cholera outbreak, which began in late August 2015, has progressively spread to more than half of country's regions, affecting thousands of people. Months into the response, local capacities and resources are overstretched; prompting the World Health Organization (WHO) to classify the outbreak an organization-wide priority, enabling it to deploy additional resources to contain the disease’s spread.

Dar es Salaam, 10 December 2015 - Tanzania is currently experiencing a severe Cholera Outbreak which started in mid-August 2015.  Recently, the President of the United Republic of Tanzania, Dr. John Pombe Magufuli, called on all in the country to commemorate Uhuru (Independence) Day on the 9th of December 2015, by focusing on “a major cleanup campaign aimed at contributing to stopping the spread of cholera in the country”.

The Minister for Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Hon. Ummy Mwalimu (MP), conducted a fact finding operation on the Cholera outbreak currently ongoing in the country.  Her programme included a Cholera Press Conference, an inspection of Mburahati Cholera Treatment Centre and an observation of DAWASCO water pipes in a sewerage trench in Manzese Ward. WHO staff were present in all the Minister’s activities.

Summary of Ministers’ Cholera Press Conference

Simiyu Region, January 2016 - Simiyu is among the 22 regions in Tanzania which have been hard hit by the cholera outbreak in the country. The region started reporting cholera on 24th December 2015. By 20th January, 2016 a total of 153 cases had been reported out of which 115 occurred in the previous 14 days.

A total of 10 deaths had also been reported. Most of these cases are reported from Bariadi and Busega districts with cases coming mainly from villages along the banks of the river Duma which separates the two districts.

Mwanza, 10 February 2016 —The on-going cholera outbreak in Tanzania has affected more than 15,000 people and claimed over 230 lives from 23 Regions. Seven out of the 23 affected Regions from the Lake Zone namely: Mwanza, Mara, Kagera, Kigoma, Geita, Tabora and Shinyanga, have contributed 51% of the reported cases and 62% of the reported deaths.

Dar es Salaam, 11 February 2016- Crowded areas such as fishing camps, refugee camps, prisons, military and police barracks and schools are vulnerable to outbreaks of communicable diseases like cholera. The government of Tanzania continues to battle the on-going wide spread cholera outbreak which has up-to-date affected 23 out of the 25 Regions in the country.

Mara, 11 February 2016 -- Mara Region is among the 23 Regions affected by the on-going cholera outbreak in Tanzania. As of 11 February, the Region has reported 1,307 cases cumulatively with 44 deaths.

Despite the on-going outbreak control efforts put in place by the Region, cholera transmission continues. WHO Representative, Dr. Rufaro Chatora, visited the Region to take stock of the situation and discuss with the Regional Health Team possible solutions to address the critical challenges faced by the Region.

The cholera outbreak in Tanzania started on the 15th of August 2015, and as of 20th January 2016, the country had reported more than 14,000 cases, including 222 deaths (representing 1.6% case fatality rate).

The current outbreak is unique because of its vast geographical spread within a short time while containment has proved to be an enormous challenge. It has so far affected 25 of the 28 administrative regions of the country and Zanzibar.

The Government of the United Republic of Tanzania in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) and Bloomberg Philanthropies Global Road Safety Programme are implementing a 5-year Road Safety Programme (2015-19) that aims at reducing the risk of road traffic crashes in the country. This aims at ensuring that there are good road safety laws which address drinking and driving, seat belts, child restraints and helmets use.