Tanzania targets Cabo Delgado health partnership

TANZANIA has proposed the establishment of a free medical camp in Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province in a new diplomatic initiative aimed at expanding health cooperation and delivering specialist treatment services to residents of the border region.

The proposal was presented by Tanzania’s Ambassador to Mozambique, CP Hamad Khamis Hamad, during talks with Cabo Delgado Governor Valige Tauabo, which focused on strengthening bilateral cooperation between Tanzania and the province.

Under the proposal, specialists from Benjamin William Mkapa Specialist Hospital in Dodoma would provide screening and treatment services, subject to approval by the relevant authorities in both countries.

Ambassador Hamad said the initiative reflects Tanzania’s commitment to diplomacy that produces tangible benefits for citizens.

“Relations between our two countries should not be confined to meetings of leaders alone. They should touch the lives of citizens. Health is one of the areas in which Tanzania and Mozambique can cooperate directly for the benefit of our people,” he said.

Governor Tauabo and the Provincial Director of Health welcomed the proposal and said it had come at an opportune time.

They also expressed readiness to work closely with the Tanzanian Embassy in the next stages of the initiative.

As part of the preparatory process, specialists from Benjamin William Mkapa Specialist Hospital are expected to travel to Pemba in Cabo Delgado to conduct a health needs assessment.

The assessment will determine the types of services required, priority diseases, the number and categories of medical personnel needed and the equipment necessary for the implementation of the medical camp.

After the assessment, the relevant authorities from both countries are expected to agree on the implementation framework, location, timing and other operational requirements.

Tanzania says the assessment is intended to ensure that the programme responds to the actual health needs of Cabo Delgado residents rather than providing services without prior evaluation.

Ambassador Hamad said Tanzania sees the health sector as a bridge for strengthening ties between Tanzanians and the people of Cabo Delgado.

ALSO READ: Mwinyi pledges stronger health partnerships

“We want our cooperation to produce visible results in people’s lives. This medical camp could become the beginning of broader cooperation in other areas that would benefit both Tanzania and Cabo Delgado,” he said.

Tanzania and Mozambique share long-standing historical, cultural and economic ties, particularly between communities in Cabo Delgado and southern Tanzania.

The ambassador said the Tanzanian Embassy would continue working closely with the Cabo Delgado Provincial Government and relevant Tanzanian institutions to coordinate the next steps.

Governor Tauabo said the provincial government was ready to cooperate fully in implementing the proposed programme.

“This initiative has come at the right time and we are ready to work with the Tanzanian Embassy to make it a success,” he said.

The planned visit by specialists from Benjamin William Mkapa Specialist Hospital is expected to lay the foundation for implementation of the medical camp, which could become a model of practical cooperation between Tanzania and Mozambique in the health sector.