The Ministry of Health has intensified efforts to protect Tanzanians from waterborne diseases by training Regional and Council Environmental Health Officers on monitoring the quality and safety of household drinking water.
The training, which is being conducted in Morogoro, is aimed at strengthening surveillance of drinking water used by households, enabling health officials to detect potential contamination early and respond before it poses a public health risk.
Organised through the Ministry's Preventive Services Department, the programme seeks to enhance participants' capacity to identify, monitor and control hazards that may compromise drinking water quality.
Officials say the initiative is expected to bolster the country's disease prevention efforts by reducing illnesses associated with unsafe water.
Access to safe drinking water remains a critical public health priority, as contaminated water continues to contribute to outbreaks of diarrhoeal and other waterborne diseases, particularly among vulnerable populations.
As part of the training, Environmental Health Officers are receiving practical instruction on the use of DelAgua Water Testing Kits, portable equipment used to assess the microbiological quality and safety of drinking water at household level.
The Ministry said equipping frontline officers with modern water-testing skills and technology will improve the efficiency and accuracy of routine water quality surveillance, enabling authorities to identify contamination risks and implement timely corrective measures.
The officers are also being trained on best practices for collecting, analysing and interpreting water quality data, strengthening evidence-based decision-making in environmental health and community disease prevention.
The initiative forms part of the government's broader preventive healthcare agenda, which places greater emphasis on addressing environmental health risks before they result in disease outbreaks.
By reinforcing the capacity of environmental health personnel across regions and local government authorities, the Ministry expects to improve access to safe drinking water and strengthen the country's ability to prevent water-related diseases, ultimately contributing to better health outcomes for communities nationwide.
