Health experts have intensified efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s preparedness to respond to disease outbreaks after conducting an assessment of infection prevention and control measures at Biharamulo District Hospital in Kagera Region.
The assessment, conducted on August 20, 2026, brought together officials from the Ministry of Health, the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), and partners from CIHEB through the Global Health Security Project.
The exercise is aimed at assessing the region’s readiness to prevent and respond to disease outbreaks, while strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers through practical training and technical guidance.
Speaking during the assessment, Dr Bushi Lugoba, coordinator of the evaluation of national and international Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards at Biharamulo and Ngara district hospitals, said the team was assessing how effectively IPC measures were being implemented at the facility.
He said the exercise was also intended to identify gaps and equip healthcare workers with the knowledge and skills needed to improve infection prevention practices.
“The assessment has enabled us to identify areas that need improvement and provide guidance on the appropriate measures to address those gaps,” Dr Lugoba said.
He said the exercise at Biharamulo had progressed well, with the assessment team receiving strong cooperation from hospital staff.
According to Dr Lugoba, the team completed the assessment and provided immediate feedback to healthcare workers on areas requiring attention.
The team will next proceed to Ngara District, where it will conduct a similar assessment and continue training healthcare workers on infection prevention and control.
The initiative comes as health authorities continue to strengthen preparedness at the facility and community levels, particularly in preventing the spread of infectious diseases.
The Acting Medical Officer in Charge of Biharamulo District Hospital, Dr Tumpale Akimu, welcomed the exercise, saying the training would help healthcare workers improve service delivery while protecting both patients and staff from infectious diseases.
She said the hospital would implement recommendations arising from the assessment and address areas identified as requiring improvement.
“We have received the exercise positively because the knowledge and guidance provided will help our healthcare workers improve their daily practices and protect themselves and patients,” Dr Akimu said.
She thanked the Government through the Ministry of Health, PO-RALG, development partners and health experts for supporting the exercise.
Dr Akimu said strengthening the capacity of healthcare workers and improving infection prevention measures would help ensure safer health facilities and better preparedness to deal with disease outbreaks.
The assessment is part of wider efforts to strengthen Tanzania’s health security by ensuring that health facilities are better equipped to prevent, detect and respond to infectious disease threats before they escalate into wider outbreaks.
