Tanzania partners with WHO to assess preparedness for Ebola outbreak

RUVUMA: THE Ministry of Health, in collaboration with the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI) and the World Health Organisation (WHO), has assessed the region’s preparedness to respond to disease outbreaks, particularly Ebola, to ensure healthcare workers in public and private hospitals have the knowledge and capacity to prevent and control infections.

Emergency, Disaster and Epidemic Diseases Coordinator Theresia Haule said the assessment was conducted to strengthen Ruvuma Region’s preparedness, given its proximity to neighbouring countries facing the risk of Ebola outbreaks.

She said it was important to equip healthcare workers with the necessary skills to identify suspected Ebola cases and take appropriate measures whenever a suspected patient is reported in the country.

Ms Haule added that the exercise would continue, with Ministry of Health teams planning to visit other regions considered at high risk of disease outbreaks, particularly those located near international borders. The visits aim to strengthen disease surveillance, prevention and infection control systems.

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“We want healthcare workers to be adequately prepared and knowledgeable in identifying people suspected of having Ebola so that preventive measures can be taken promptly to stop the infection from spreading to others,” she said.

Meanwhile, St Joseph Peramiho Hospital Medical Officer-in-Charge, Dr Adeodatus Haule, thanked the Ministry of Health team for visiting the facility and assessing its preparedness to respond to disease outbreaks, particularly Ebola.

He said the experts inspected various sections of the hospital and provided recommendations on the proper arrangement of equipment and service areas to strengthen preparations for managing suspected Ebola patients.

Dr Haule said responding to Ebola requires joint efforts among public, private and faith-based hospitals, adding that the experts’ visit had helped the facility identify areas requiring improvement and strengthen its preparedness to prevent and control infections.