The government has called on the government's chief medical officer to work around the clock to contain the outbreak of the disease, which could pose a risk of international travel restrictions.
President Samia Suluhu Hassan gave this directive during the swearing-in ceremony of newly appointed government officials. He highlighted the role of the Chief Medical Officer and called on the incoming officer, Dr Grace Majembe, to work closely with the team to control the outbreak of the disease, especially at the border.
She said the team must carry out its duties diligently, asserting that great vigilance is required as the role of the chief medical officer is crucial to avert disasters.
She reminded the audience that an outbreak of the disease could result in our country being labeled as a disease hotspot by other countries, leading to travel restrictions.
She similarly called on the newly sworn-in Court of Appeal judges to protect judicial independence and ensure the fair and impartial administration of justice.
“Let us ensure that the independence of the judiciary is effectively safeguarded to deliver justice for all Tanzanians,” she said, calling on judges to be catalysts for change in their respective areas of service.
Chief Justice Professor Ibrahim Juma noted that the appointment of additional judges to the Court of Appeal would help address challenges such as the backlog of cases.
Increasing the number of judges from 35 to 39 would reduce the backlog of cases and likewise reduce the number of inmates in remand prisons, he said.
He cited the prison chief's statement last year that overcrowding in detainees had been significantly reduced by appointing more judges.
The number of inmates in the prison system is set at 29,000, but that number has been significantly reduced to accommodate an additional 2,000 inmates, service chiefs claimed.
Dr Majembe, who was appointed to replace Professor Tumaini Nagu, previously served as Deputy Permanent Secretary for Regional and Local Government Affairs in the Office of the President (PO-RALG).
Meanwhile, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) announced plans to mobilize immediate support to help fight the latest Marburg virus outbreak in Tanzania.
In a statement released yesterday, the Africa CDC confirmed that it will deploy a team of 12 public health experts within the next 24 hours.
“This follows Tanzania declaring an outbreak in the northwestern Kagera region, with one confirmed case and 25 suspected cases reported,” the statement affirmed.
The multidisciplinary team will include epidemiologists, risk communication experts, infection prevention, control and laboratory experts, the team said.
Their mission is to support surveillance, diagnosis, case management, and community engagement efforts to curb the spread of this highly contagious and deadly disease, the report details. said.
Africa CDC emphasized working with the Tanzanian authorities to ensure a coordinated effort and high-level political commitment to the response.
Africa CDC Director Gene Kaseya said the continental public health agency would commit $2 million to strengthen Tanzania's immediate response efforts, including deploying experts, strengthening diagnostic capacity and supporting case management systems. Ta.
“Africa CDC stands firmly behind Tanzania at this critical juncture. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response to the outbreak in 2023, swift and decisive action, combined with our support and that of other partners, will ensure this “We are confident that we can control the outbreak,” he said. Said.
Based on Africa CDC data, this outbreak is the East African country's second encounter with this deadly virus, following a previous outbreak in March 2023 that left nine people infected and six deaths. It was an encounter.