UNGUJA: ZANZIBAR President Dr Hussein Mwinyi has applauded Non-Governmental Organizations and members of Tanzania Diaspora for coming up with programmes that support the country’s development initiatives in various sectors including health.
President Mwinyi said this over the weekend during the official launch of ‘Health and Other Data Analytics, Research and Informatics Initiative (HODARI)’ organization held here, stressing that the government recognizes and honors the fundamental contribution of NGOs and civil society organizations to the country’s development.
“NGOs are crucial actors of change. I thank all diaspora and local NGOs in initiating and implementing programmes that ensure no one is left behind,” Dr Mwinyi said in a speech read on his behalf by Ms Riziki Pemba Juma, Zanzibar Minister of Social Development, Elders, Gender and Children.
HODARI Initiative Organization, registered this year (2023), is an Informatics Initiative’ established by a group of diaspora led by Dr Zeyana Abdallah Hamid, a lecturer at Indiana University in the United States of America.
HODARI will be transforming public health through informatics capacity building and awareness in Zanzibar.
Ms Riziki said: “Dr Mwinyi is busy with the 60th anniversary preparations of the Zanzibar Revolution. He would have loved to join you at this important event, but instead he directed me to represent him.”
Dr Mwinyi said that digital transformation in health is one of the most important goals of his administration, and must be achieved through the cooperation of all parties including NGOs.”
He said that for a long time, the government in collaboration with international stakeholders has been collecting data at a high cost, but it is high time for each health unit to strengthen services by using data.
“A lot of efforts and funds have been directed towards reducing the spread of diseases and deaths linked to HIV/Aids, TB and Malaria.We should avoid mistakes that occur during treatments.”
He emphasized that it is important for staff and workers in the health sector to continue searching for education through different ways including sharing experiences and capacity building so that they improve performance and adopt modern technology and equipment.
“There is a need for digitalising health services but it is unfortunate many people spend a lot of time on social networks viewing or browsing useless materials,” he noted.
As the government constructs modern hospitals, digitalization cannot be left behind. Youth will need to learn or study about computers so that they can secure jobs in various government and private health institutions.
HODARI Institute organization Executive Director Dr Zeyana Abdalah Hamid said the aim of the institute is to join forces with the government to improve health care and also in research programmes in digital health.
For his part, Registrar of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs), Mr Khalid Ahmed Abdulla, said his office noted the need to register HODARI to help the government, especially in data and information systems in the health sector.
Mr Abdulla expressed his confidence that the organization will contribute to the development of Zanzibar health, saying NGOs and CSOs have been providing enough support in development.
He said that in 2022, a total of 49bn/- from NGOs was injected in development projects of which 27.5bn/- was directed to the health sector.
