Tanzania donates medical supplies worth 220m/- to support fight against Ebola outbreak in Congo DR

DAR ES SALAAM: THE Tanzanian government has provided medical supplies worth over 220m/-, equivalent to 88,000  US Dollars, to support the response to an Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Minister for Health Mohamed Mchengerwa said the government would ensure that the supplies are delivered quickly and safely to areas where they are most needed, in line with the priorities of the DRC’s national response plan.

Mchengerwa made the remarks in Dar es Salaam while closing the Fourth Meeting of the East African Community Health Ministers’ Sectoral Council.

He said the meeting had provided a platform for countries in the region to jointly address health security issues, including strengthening prevention, preparedness and response to disease outbreaks.

According to the minister, other issues discussed included strengthening health systems to withstand the effects of climate change, vaccination, and regional solidarity in responding to the Bundibugyo Ebola outbreak.

Mchengerwa also urged member states to ensure that decisions reached during health meetings are translated into concrete action. He called for the appointment of designated officials to coordinate implementation, stronger regional technical working groups and regular assessment of progress against agreed targets.

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He further stressed the need for rapid implementation of health plans, saying that every step taken to protect health budgets, train healthcare workers and ensure that health commodities reach citizens contributes to building a resilient health system.

“We must ensure that work plans are translated into budgets, budgets into services, and services into results that save lives,” he said.

Mchengerwa said Africa’s biggest challenge was not a shortage of health plans, but the speed, discipline and accountability with which those plans are implemented.

He said solidarity among East African countries was critical in responding to disease outbreaks because public health threats do not respect national borders and require coordinated preparedness and regional response.

The meeting sought to strengthen cooperation among member states on health security and establish a foundation for joint implementation of decisions on public health across the East African region.