Samia directs new Chief Medical Officer to strengthen disease outbreak management
Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Grace Magembe. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
- The President’s remarks follow her recent disclosure that a case of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) had been confirmed in Biharamulo District, Kagera Region.
Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan has directed the newly appointed Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Grace Magembe, to effectively oversee the management of disease outbreaks for the country’s interest.
The President issued the directive on Wednesday, January 22, 2025, at Chamwino State House, during the swearing-in ceremony of the newly appointed Court of Appeal justices.
The justices included Ms Latifa Mansoor, Mr George Masaju, Dr Deo Nangela, and Dr Ubena Agatho.
They were joined by CMO Dr Magembe, Presidential Advisor on Health and Medicine Prof Mohamed Janabi, Assistant Cabinet Secretary Mr Merick Luvinga, and Ethics Commission executive secretary Mr Ramadhani Masoud, all of whom took the integrity pledge.
The Ethics Secretariat Commissioner Justice Sivangilwa Mwangesi administered the integrity pledge.
In her address, President Hassan reminded Dr Magembe of the substantial responsibility entrusted to her, requiring close attention.
“I want issues of disease outbreaks in the country to be carefully supervised. I trust your team will perform its duties as required and prevent our country from facing alerts, travel restrictions, and similar issues,” she said.
The President’s remarks follow her recent disclosure that a case of Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) had been confirmed in Biharamulo District, Kagera Region.
This came just days after the World Health Organization (WHO) reported eight deaths in Kagera linked to a suspected Marburg virus outbreak.
On January 11, 2025, the government dispatched a team of experts to investigate the disease, of the samples collected, only one case tested positive.
WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus announced that the organisation had allocated $3 million (Sh7.5 billion) from its Emergency Fund to support Tanzania’s response, in addition to the $50,000 previously allocated for the investigation.
Turning to elected leaders, President Hassan challenged them to focus on producing outcomes in their new roles.
“We’ve made great strides, and there’s no turning back—only forward. Everyone must take responsibility for the tasks assigned to them,” she said.
Earlier, Chief Justice (CJ) Prof Ibrahim Juma highlighted that the expansion of the Court of Appeal’s bench had helped reduce case backlogs and inmate overcrowding in prisons.
In November 2024, Prisons Commissioner General Jeremiah Katungu informed him that increasing the number of Court of Appeal justices and High Court judges had positively impacted the prison system.
“The highest capacity for prisoners had been 29,000, but that has now reduced, leaving 2,000 positions available for new inmates,” Prof Juma said, adding that this shift allowed prison officers to engage in other activities.
He also emphasised the value of video conference hearings for enhancing safety and security while dealing with prisoners.
