The government has intensified efforts to strengthen emergency health services at border entry points as part of a broader strategy to enhance early detection, prevention and response to infectious disease outbreaks that pose cross-border public health risks.
The move comes amid continued efforts by the Ministry of Health to reinforce disease surveillance systems and improve the country's readiness to respond to emerging health threats.
Speaking during a joint supervision exercise on outbreak preparedness at the Kasenyi Border Post in Rukwa Region on July 12, 2026, Emergency Medicine Specialist at the Ministry of Health, Dr Michael Kiremeji, said the exercise was designed to assess the preparedness of health facilities serving border communities and travellers.
He said the assessment focuses on identifying operational gaps, evaluating emergency response capacity and providing technical guidance to improve service delivery at border health facilities.
"Border health posts are the country's first line of defence against the importation and spread of infectious diseases. Strengthening traveller screening, emergency response systems and public health information management is essential to protecting communities," Dr Kiremeji said.
He added that the Ministry of Health would continue conducting regular monitoring and supportive supervision at border entry points to ensure health workers comply with national and international public health standards while maintaining a high level of preparedness for disease outbreaks.
Kasenyi Border Health Services Coordinator, Mr Yustus Landula, said the supervision exercise had helped identify areas requiring improvement while strengthening collaboration between health workers and other government agencies operating at the border.
He noted that the recommendations issued during the exercise would be implemented to further enhance the border post's capacity to protect the health of both residents and travellers, contributing to the country's wider efforts to prevent the cross-border transmission of infectious diseases.
