HOME
Prof. Magimba (Kulia)akifungua mkutano wa 5 wa mapitio wa Mpango wa Taifa magonjwa yaliyokuwa hayapewi kipaumbele ambao unapitia na kupanga mikakati ya utekelezaji wa kutoa elimu,kukinga na kutibu magonjwa hayo nchini ambayo ni usubi,vikope(trakoma), kichocho, minyoo ya tumbo pamoja na matende na mabusha.
Baadhi ya mdau wa mpango wa taifa wa magonjwa yaliyokuwa hayapewi kipaumbele toka nchi mbalimbali akichangia mada kwenye mkutano huo.
Waratibu wa mpango huo kutoka halmashauri mbalimbali wakijiandaa Kuwasilisha mada jinsi walivyofanikiwa kutekeleza mipango hiyo kwa mwaka 2015/2016,wa kwanza kulia ni dkt.Mabai Leonard(Mwanza) katikati dkt.Faraja Lyamuya(Dodoma) na Dkt.Ida Ngowi(Ruvuma).
Picha ya pamoja ya mgeni rasmi akiwa na watumishi toka wizara ya afya,waratibu wa halmashauri na wadau toka mataifa mbalimbali.
Mgeni rasmi wa mkutano huo Prof.Ayoub Magimba(Kushoto) akisalimiana na Mkurugenzi Mkuu wa Taasisi ya Utafiti wa Magonjwa ya Binadamu(NIMR)Dkt.Mwele Malecela(kulia)katikati ni Mratibu wa mpango huo Dkt.Upendo Mwingira.
Prof. Magimba akiwa pamoja na watumishi wa wizara ya afya na wa mpango wa Taifa wa magonjwa yaliyokuwa hayapewi kipaumbele nchini.
Prof.Magimba mwenye tai nyekundu(aliyekaa katikati)akiwa kwenye picha ya pamoja wadau wa maendeleo toka mashirika mbalimbali toka Tanzania na nje ya nchi.
Prof.Ayoub Magimba akisalimiana mshauri wa kitaalam wa shirika la RTI international toka Washington DC.
SPEECH BY
CHIEF MEDICAL OFFICER MINISTRY OF HEALTH, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, GENDER, ELDERLY AND CHILDREN,
PROF. MOHAMMAD BAKARI KAMBI
ON THE OFFICIAL OPENING OF FIFTH NTD ANNUAL JOINT PLANNING MEETING ON
31th MAY, 2016.
AT KIBO PALACE HOTEL, ARUSHA CITY
Representatives, World Health Organization,
Distinguished Representatives of Development Partner Agencies,
Director of Preventive Services-Dr. Neema Rusibamayila
Distinguished guests,
Delegates from Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children and its Institutions
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Let me take this opportunity on behalf of the Government of the United Republic of Tanzania, to warmly welcome you all to the fifth (5th) Annual Joint Planning Meeting for the Control of Neglected Tropical Diseases in Tanzania. I wish to thank every one of you who made this important meeting happen. The attendance shows how committed you are, and you are much eager to support the control and elimination of NTDs in the endemic countries, Tanzania being one them. For those coming from outside of this country, I would like to assure you that, Tanzania is a country of peace and I hope you will enjoy the hospitality of Tanzanians, specifically the Arusha City, “the Geneva of Africa” during your stay here. Please spare time to visit our national parks and world’s wonders of Ngorongoro crater as well as the rift valley and the famous Serengeti National Park.
Ladies & Gentlemen
With support of Development Partners, Tanzania has undertaken a move to integrate vertical programs back in 2009, in attempting to control and eventually to eliminate the disease impacts on individuals, families and the society in general. The implementation of the Integrated control of NTDs has been in stepwise approach due to funding availability. We started with 36 councils of 6 regions in 2009 and by 2015, we reached all 186 councils in the current 26 regions .This is a great achievement and I would like to congratulate those who made this possible. May GOD bless you.
Ladies & Gentlemen
Currently, the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC) through the National Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Program (NTDCP) is responsible for coordination of the implementation of interventions stipulated in the Strategic Master Plan for the Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Program (2012 – 2017). The strategic plan is the roadmap by which, the vision of “Tanzania free of NTD’s” can be achieved. NTDs are included into the Health Strategic Plans and its budget tools, these are the HSSP (IV) 2015-2020 and the comprehensive Council Health Plans (CCHPs).The plan is based on the principles of organizational integration of health services as well as, a wider intersectoral integration between other Ministries.
The NTD Master-plan is prioritizing 4 areas: (i) Strengthen Government Ownership, Advocacy, Coordination and Partnership, (ii) Planning for results, Resource mobilization and Financial sustainability, (iii) Scale up access to interventions, treatment and system capacity building and (iv) NTD monitoring and evaluation, surveillance, Information, Education and Communication (IEC) and operational research
Ladies & Gentlemen
I would like to share with you the key activities implemented in 2015/2016.
First and foremost, there has been a strong in-country collaboration between partner’s organizations including IMA-World Health, Sight Savers –Tanzania Office, World Health Organization Country Office, Helen Keller International, Kongwa Trachoma Project, Kilimanjaro Center for Community Opthalmology, and many others.
With this collaboration, in this year 2015/16, we have achieved the full (100%) geographical coverage in Mass Drug Administration (MDA). This was also attained in a stepwise approach as all councils that need MDA for onchocerciasis were reached by 2009, for Lymphatic Filariasis in 2014 and for Soil Transmitted Helminthiasis and Schistosomiasis in 2015/16. In terms of treatments in 2013, over 19 million people were treated with 45 million treatments of Ivermectin, Albendazole, Praziquantel and Zithromax, and in 2014; over 23 million people were reached with 55 million treatments of Ivermectin, Albendazole, Praziquantel and Zithromax.
On morbidity management, we are delightful for the continuation support of the DFID and TRUST Fund in 6 regions with highest Trachomatous Trichiasis (TT) backlog namely Manyara, Pwani, Lindi , Mtwara, Dodoma and Arusha. DFID-TRUST are working in collaboration with in-country Grantee partners: IMA-world health, Sight Savers TZ Office, Kongwa Trachoma Project (KTP), and Kilimanjaro Center for Community Ophthalmology (KCCO), and not forgetting their coordinating partner- Helen Keller International TZ office.
This project has a purpose of scaling up TT surgery in the country on efforts to reduce TT backlog in Tanzania. During the year 2015/2016 TT surgical camps continued in the 6 regions; and also under the support of Sight Savers -TZ in Tanga, Ruvuma, and Pwani regions, a total of 2,598 TT surgeries were done.
On Lymphatic filariasis morbidity management, we are very delightful for the support of 208 hydrocele surgeries in Pangani district from End-Fund and 1,160 hydrocele surgeries in Mtwara and Lindi regions from IMA World Health in 2015/2016.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In Progress to reach 2020 World Health Assembly (WHA) goals, Tanzania has made a profound achievements since the inception of the integrated NTD program: Some of the achievements include; stopping of MDA in a number of implementation councils countrywide, i.e., 166 council to 63 councils by this year.
For Trachoma, 22 districts have met the criteria of stopping Zithromax MDA for Trachoma, thus further shrinking the Tanzania trachoma map. By end of 2015, only 18 councils needed Zithromax MDA. Many more districts are expected to achieve the Trachomatous Foliculitis (TF) level of <5 .="" i="">
The country has also reached, received and adopted the new WHO guidelines on onchocerciasis elimination which stipulates that, before stopping ivermectin MDA for onchocercias, new serological tests together with entomological evaluations need to be conducted to all districts.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
The NTD program has made a significant progress during 2015/2016 in the areas of strengthening M&E systems which includes development of NTD Data-base and Web-site. The MDA data is all being entered directly into the program database. This has been a remarkable achievement for the program.
However, the program still faces a big challenge on the funding gap which is mostly reflected in areas of: Database roll out and electronic data collection, Entomological survey funding for Onchocerciasis elimination, and Lymphatic Filariasis morbidity control, just to mention the few.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It is my hope that, through this forum, you will continue to foster the partnership which will enable you to share experiences, best practices, information and approaches to preventing and controlling NTDs. In our health sector strategic plan III as well as plan IV, we have strategy which addresses Public Private Partnership (PPP) in health care that aim at promoting quality health services through networking and strengthening partnership. It is my hope that, this forum will continue to address these issues with the aim of improving the health of our Nation. Your efforts combined with ours will make a difference.
Ladies & Gentlemen
The Government of United Republic of Tanzania will continue to collaborate with Development Partners and other stakeholders in addressing all challenges facing the Strategic Master Plan for the Neglected Tropical Diseases Control Program through development of sustainable program, with a key notion that Government is the steering wheel. This is important especially for creation of government ownership and transparency. Please always have a confidence in our Government that it will support you.
On this occasion I am delighted that Tanzania delegation participated in the closure of African Program for Onchocerciasis Control (APOC) in Kampala Uganda on December 2015. Tanzania also has been in the forefront to support and hence launch of the new entity ‘Expanded Special Project for Elimination of NTDs (ESPEN) to be hosted at AFRO-HQ. It’s a major step indeed, and I urge partners to support African endemic countries in a more coordinated manner which will make us attain our desired goals of countries free of NTDs.
Ladies & Gentlemen
At this juncture, I would like to wish you fruitful deliberations throughout these 2 days, and I do hope the meeting will come out with tangible plans for NTD implementation for the year 2016/17.
With these few remarks, I would like to declare that the meeting is officially opened.
Thank you for your kind attention.
Chapisha Maoni