KAGERA: KAGERA Regional Commissioner, Fatma Mwassa, has urged residents to seek early treatment amidst rising cases of Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs).
RC Mwassa encouraged residents to take advantage of a visiting team of ‘Mama Samia’ professionals, comprising 57 doctors, who will be in the Kagera Region from 4-11 November this year.
The doctors will be deployed across all eight councils and will provide medical services at a reduced cost, with health insurance cards also accepted.
Deputy Minister for Health, Dr Godwin Mollel, informed the National Assembly in Dodoma on Tuesday that NCDs pose a significant health challenge in Tanzania.
“The age-standardised mortality rate for the four major NCDs-Cardiovascular Disease, Chronic Respiratory Disease, Cancer and Diabetes—was 557 per 100,000 in men and 498 per 100,000 in women in 2021,” he noted.
Dr Mollel highlighted a comprehensive strategy to curb the rising prevalence of NCDs, particularly diabetes, as part of the fifth health sector plan, stating, “We are implementing a broad approach that includes public education, improved healthcare access and capacity building.”
He also pointed out that malaria remains a major health concern in Tanzania, with an estimated 8 million cases and 25,787 deaths recorded in 2021.
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According to the Ministry of Health, the burden of NCDs in Tanzania has doubled over the past two decades, with these diseases accounting for approximately 40 per cent of all disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and contributing to 34 per cent of all deaths and 31 per cent of premature deaths.
The Ministry reports an estimated 40,464 new cancer cases each year, with 70 per cent of these resulting in fatalities due to inadequate healthcare infrastructure.