UK commends Tanzanian efforts in response to the Marburg outbreaks

BUKOBA: THE United Kingdom High Commission has commended the Tanzanian government for the strategies and efforts it implemented in responding to infectious disease outbreaks, particularly the Marburg virus disease that emerged in Kagera Region on two separate occasions.

The remarks were made by the UK Deputy High Commissioner in Tanzania, Sally Hedley, during her three-day visit to Kagera Region. She said she was impressed by the measures taken by the government to contain the outbreak as well as the response strategies implemented with support and facilitation from various health sector partners.

Hedley noted that the UK Embassy, as a partner in the health sector, supported the provision of public health education to communities and community-level health workers. According to her, these efforts contributed significantly to controlling the outbreak and positioned Tanzania as an example for many African countries in managing epidemic diseases.

She explained that several African countries have experienced challenges with disease outbreaks, citing Ethiopia, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) which has faced Ebola outbreaks, and Uganda, which has also experienced similar public health challenges. However, she said Tanzania’s response to the Marburg virus outbreak on two separate occasions represents a major achievement.

“I am pleased to see that life has returned to normal during this visit, while community health workers have already received adequate training on how to respond to outbreak diseases,” Hedley said.

Meanwhile, the World Health Organization (WHO) Country Representative, Dr Alex Gasasira, said the organization has helped strengthen the capacity of health sector personnel by improving health security in affected areas, upgrading laboratory capacity, and strengthening coordination in disease control and community engagement.

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Dr Gasasira added that WHO also provided psychological counseling services to survivors of the disease to help them return to normal life without fear. He said community education and strict supervision were also strengthened at emergency response centers and public gathering areas, particularly in border regions.

On his part, the Director of Disaster and Emergency Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Erasto Silvanus, said the government has continued strengthening emergency preparedness systems and disease surveillance within communities.

He explained that the first Marburg outbreak in Kagera occurred in March 2023, resulting in three deaths, while the second outbreak in January 2025 caused ten deaths.

During the visit, the UK Deputy High Commissioner, together with officials from WHO and the Ministry of Health, toured several facilities including Bukoba District Hospital – Bujunjangoma, which served as a treatment and isolation center during the 2023 outbreak.

The visiting delegation commended the hospital’s health workers for their efforts in managing the health emergency and observed the government’s preparedness in responding effectively to infectious disease outbreaks.