MWE Correspondent
Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, through its Emergency and Disaster Management Unit, in collaboration with the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (TAMISEMI) and other stakeholders, is strengthening preparedness for disease outbreaks, including Ebola, while improving emergency, accident and critical care services across the country.
The initiative aims to enhance the capacity of healthcare professionals and ensure that health facilities are adequately prepared to respond to public health emergencies, including suspected cases of highly infectious diseases.
Speaking in Mbeya Region on October 26, 2026, the Regional Medical Officer, Dr. Elizabeth Nyema, thanked the government for deploying a team of Ministry of Health experts to support outbreak preparedness efforts, train healthcare workers and assess facilities designated for managing patients.
Dr. Nyema said the region had also received a team providing training on safe burial procedures for people who die from epidemic diseases, an important measure in reducing the risk of further transmission during outbreaks.
She explained that Mbeya Region was continuing to implement preparedness strategies through regular inspections and by ensuring that designated isolation and response areas, as well as specialised healthcare teams, remained ready to respond whenever an emergency arose.
According to Dr. Nyema, the training would strengthen the skills of healthcare workers and improve preparedness across all councils in the region. The efforts are intended to ensure that patients and individuals suspected of having epidemic diseases receive timely care while reducing the risk of preventable deaths and further infections.
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She emphasised the importance of maintaining readiness at all times, given the need for rapid identification, assessment and management of suspected cases during public health emergencies.
Meanwhile, the Medical Officer in Charge of Mbeya Regional Referral Hospital, Dr. Abdallah Mmbaga, said the hospital had received the Ministry of Health team to assess its preparedness to manage an outbreak, particularly Ebola, should a confirmed or suspected case be identified.
Dr. Mmbaga said the experts had conducted supportive supervision by visiting various sections of the hospital and inspecting the arrangements established to respond to potential cases.
He added that the team had expressed satisfaction with the preparations and the work undertaken by the hospital to strengthen its capacity to handle such emergencies.
The assessment forms part of broader efforts to improve coordination between national and local health authorities, strengthen infection prevention and control, and ensure that healthcare facilities can respond effectively to emerging health threats.
Ebola preparedness requires rapid detection of suspected infections, appropriate isolation, strict infection prevention measures, effective contact tracing and safe handling of bodies. Training healthcare workers and strengthening facility readiness are therefore essential to protecting patients, medical personnel and surrounding communities.
Through these measures, health authorities aim to improve Tanzania’s capacity to manage disease outbreaks and ensure that regional health facilities are prepared to respond promptly and safely when public health emergencies arise.
