Morogoro –Tanzania has significantly boosted its pandemic preparedness by enhancing its capacity to detect and respond to respiratory disease threats. The country has expanded its sentinel surveillance network from 9 sites in 2021 to 27 sites across 19 regions today, enabling faster detection of pathogens such as COVID-19, influenza, RSV, adenoviruses, and other emerging respiratory infections.
This progress was highlighted during the Annual Respiratory Pathogens Sentinel Site Performance and Accountability Review Meeting held in Morogoro. The three-day forum, supported through Pandemic Funds, brought together medical officers and focal people from all 27 sites to evaluate performance, address operational challenges, and harmonize practices across the national surveillance system.
Chief Medical Officer Dr. Grace Magembe emphasized the importance of the system, noting:
“Since we began implementing respiratory disease surveillance, we have achieved many successes, including using the same system to monitor more than ten respiratory infections such as COVID-19. This meeting reinforces our commitment to sustaining high-quality surveillance and ensuring rapid, evidence-based responses to respiratory threats.”
The World Health Organization also commended Tanzania’s leadership. Dr. George Kauki, Surveillance Officer at the WHO Country Office, stated:
“High-quality surveillance data is the cornerstone of pandemic preparedness and response. By bringing together all sentinel site teams, we reaffirm our commitment to strengthening Tanzania’s health security and contributing to global respiratory pathogen surveillance to prevent future pandemics.”
This national forum marks the first comprehensive review since the expansion of sentinel sites between 2021 and 2025. It represents a crucial step in harmonizing practices, strengthening epidemic preparedness, and positioning Tanzania as a leader in regional and global health security.
The program featured site performance presentations, plenary discussions, and the official launch of the National Protocol for Respiratory Multi pathogen Surveillance. The meeting concluded with recognition of exemplary sites, reinforcing motivation, accountability, and continuous improvement across the network.