In the final two months of the year, I am one of many people who avoid long road trips out of fear.
We conversed with some friends about what was happening on our roads in different parts of the country. “If you don’t have any serious issue that forces you to travel upcountry, don’t!” one of them insisted. Another noted that even here in Dar es Salaam, she is afraid to drive her car. “I opt to use public transport or request a ride from various taxi apps,” she noted.
Hon Hamad Yussuf Masauni, the Minister for Home Affairs, last May said in 9 months (July 2021 and March 2022), about 1,191 people died in 1,594 road accidents in Tanzania. The other day, The Citizen reported that Bodaboda (motorcycle taxi) are linked to many local road collisions. More than 16,000 individuals are reported to perish each year due to bodaboda incidents.
According to the United Nations Road Safety Fund (UNRSF), about 500 children die on roads worldwide every 24 hours, while one person dies on the road every 24 seconds. According to World Health Organization (WHO), about 50 million more people are hurt in traffic accidents annually, while 1.3 million people die.
One of the leading causes of death for children and young people is said to be traffic accidents. Due to this, UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged increased international efforts to halt traffic fatalities and injuries by 2030. “We must make roads safer and save lives around the world,” says Guterres.
According to Hon Masauni, in Tanzania, most accidents are caused by reckless driving, defective vehicles, and bad roads. Globally, road infrastructure, driving while drunk, excessive speeding, and other factors contribute to road accidents. Road accidents have adverse outcomes like fatalities, injuries, and property damage (vehicle itself and other properties where the accidents occur).
Due to increased road accidents, the Ministry of Health included road accidents and mental health issues while commemorating the Non-Communicable diseases (NCDs) week, from 5th to 12th November, 2022.
According to Dr. James Kiologwe, the Assistant Director, Non-Communicable Diseases Services, at Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, both road accidents and mental health incidents have recently increased; a reason why they were in the agenda of commemorating NCDs week this year. The ministry saw the need to address them so as to raise awareness of actions/attention needed in prevention and broader access to care about NCDs. This year’s theme on NCDs week is “Change your lifestyle for better health.”
Non-communicable diseases include heart disease, stroke, cancer, diabetes, and chronic lung disease. According to World Health Organization (WHO), these diseases collectively contribute to about 74 percent of all deaths globally. Yes, they are silent killer diseases. I remember, some decades ago, it was so rare to find someone with such conditions, but today, things have considerably changed because the diseases have increased rapidly in recent years.
These silent killer diseases are associated with lifestyle changes (eating lifestyles); unhealthy diets, tobacco use, physical inactivity, and overuse of alcohol, among others. That is why they are sometimes called lifestyle diseases. If we need to reduce, if not eradicate the situation, we must seriously promote our cultural foods as they are so healthy. This will help us to prevent and control these non-communicable diseases like diabetes.
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Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
