The Minister of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG – TAMISEMI), Prof. Riziki Shemdoe, has commended regional and council health officers for driving down nationwide cholera cases from 12,000 to just 700 during the 2025/26 period.
Prof. Shemdoe attributed the dramatic decline to the disciplined implementation of planned health and sanitation interventions across local government authorities.
The Minister delivered the accolade on June 1, 2026, in Arusha while opening the annual national review meeting on health and environmental sanitation at the Arusha International Conference Centre (AICC).
“I commend you for achieving the target you set last year. You managed to slash cholera outbreaks from 12,000 cases to 700. Now, I challenge you to set a ultimate goal: eliminating the disease entirely this year,” Prof. Shemdoe urged delegates.
He noted that the progress reflects strengthened coordination between regional health authorities and local government levels, alongside heightened community awareness regarding hygiene and disease prevention.
Beyond containment of waterborne diseases, Prof. Shemdoe urged regional and council leaders to scale up public campaigns promoting physical exercise. He warned that non-communicable diseases (NCDs)—including hypertension, diabetes, cardiac illnesses, stroke, and asthma continue to sap national productivity and stall development.
Furthermore, he called on regional authorities to sustain the mandatory nationwide clean-up campaigns held on the last Saturday of every month, citing them as a cornerstone for eliminating environmental health risks and halting communicable disease outbreaks.
Prof. Shemdoe also expressed gratitude to President Samia Suluhu Hassan for her administration’s continued strategic investments in the health and environmental sectors, aimed at boosting the quality of life for all Tanzanians.
Host Regional Commissioner, CPA Amos Makalla, assured the Minister that Arusha remains fully committed to executing national health directives and fortifying its emergency response systems.
“Arusha is prepared. We will continue working hand-in-hand with health professionals to ensure our disease prevention and response mechanisms are airtight,” CPA Makalla stated.
Outlining the seminar's objectives, the Deputy Permanent Secretary in PO-RALG (Health), Prof. Tumaini Nagu, explained that the forum is evaluating the performance of the outgoing 2025/26 financial year while simultaneously structuring action plans and priorities for the upcoming 2026/27 cycle.
Dr. Rashid Mfaume, the Director of Health, Social Welfare, and Nutrition at PO-RALG, added that the review heavily relies on key national indicators and sectoral targets to optimize frontline service delivery across all local government authorities.
Speaking on behalf of the attending health officers, Fanuel Nyadwike pledged that participants would leverage the peer-review session to exchange best practices and reinforce sanitation strategies in their respective districts.
The 2026 annual review is being held under the theme: “Strengthening integrated and sustainable health and environmental sanitation systems to build a resilient and healthy society.”
