Tanzania launches broader strategies to enhance nationwide healthcare services

TABORA: THE Tanzanian government has officially launched a training program for health professionals aimed at enhancing disease surveillance and improving the accuracy of laboratory data processing, as part of a broader strategy to enhance healthcare services and medical information systems nationwide.

Speaking at the launch in Tabora Region, Acting Registrar of the Laboratory Professionals Council, Zubeda Salumu, said the training builds on a program implemented in 2025 across regional hospitals.

She explained that under the earlier program, laboratory professionals were trained in disease surveillance and laboratory-based surveillance coordination, with designated coordinators successfully submitting weekly reports with notable effectiveness.

Following these achievements, the Ministry of Health, in collaboration with TAMISEMI and the World Health Organization through the Pandemic Fund project, has expanded the training to the primary healthcare level to reach a larger segment of the health workforce.

“The main objective is to ensure that health workers acquire adequate knowledge in disease surveillance and accurate laboratory data processing, as the primary level is the foundation of health information systems,” Salumu stated.

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She added that laboratories serve as a critical hub for health data, underscoring the need for professionals to develop competencies in data processing and utilization to improve service delivery.

Meanwhile, Acting Registrar of the Private Health Laboratories Board (PHLB), Emmanuel Mjema, urged participants to treat the training as a strategic opportunity to enhance efficiency in their daily responsibilities.

Upon completion of the training, participants will be awarded Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits, with detailed procedures to be provided by the training coordinators.

Additionally, a training coordinator from the Ministry of Health reminded participants to ensure their professional licenses are up to date to avoid operational challenges in their respective health facilities.