TB kills 71 people every day in Tanzania, says Majaliwa

Bariadi. Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said yesterday that Tanzania loses 71 people each day because of tuberculosis (TB), amounting to 25,800 deaths per year.

Tanzania is one of 30 countries with a high number of TB infections worldwide.

Mr Majaliwa stated this yesterday while officially establishing the Multisectoral Accountability Framework (MAF TB), which aims to end the disease by including all relevant sectors in action, as well as commemorating World Tuberculosis Day at the national level in Simiyu Region.

At the event, the Prime Minister issued seven directives to the ministries that would ensure the success of the MAF TB framework by eradicating TB by 2030 through a variety of initiatives, including the removal of institutional impediments that promote TB stigma and prejudice.

Among the directives are: MAF-TB inclusion in the ministerial work plan; strengthening the ministry of Health’s registration of traditional healers; allowing concurrent work of HIV and TB programmes; the mining sector to create a friendly, enabling environment for mine workers and protect them from dust; and ensuring appropriate monitoring and evaluation to identify results.

“TB is a dangerous disease. It contributes to poor development in the country as people get sick and fail to contribute to the activities that contribute to the strengthening of our Gross Domestic Product,” said the Prime Minister.

Mr Majaliwa further stated that the government has donated five mobile medical trucks so that more individuals can be checked and treated from their homes.
He stated that each vehicle has three sections, which include consultation, X-ray, and general health checkup rooms.

Additionally, the premier said that more mobile medical trucks will be distributed to different locations to assist more individuals in getting tested at an early stage.

According to the Prime Minister, it is also critical to have a large number of open spaces and open gardens for people to enjoy fresh air rather than developing buildings in all regions. Dr Christine Musanhu, Lead of HIV and TB Programme at the World Health Organisation Tanzania, said WHO will continue to work together with other health stakeholders and the government to make sure TB comes to an end.

“I congratulate the government of Tanzania on adopting and putting in place this important structure that will enable the involvement of players from different sectors to address the challenges that make TB a public health issue,” says Dr Christine.

For his part, the Simiyu Regional Commissioner, Dr Yahya Nawanda, thanked the government for building three health facilities in two years.

This goes along with giving modern X-ray machines that give results for only two hours, unlike the previous one that gave results for three to seven days.

Since WHO endorsed MAF in 2017, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has been working with partners and civil society organisations to support countries in establishing MAF TB structures.