Afrigather Dodoma – The COVID-19 pandemic has bolstered the necessity for a strong nation’s capability to stop, put together for, detect and reply to public well being emergencies of worldwide concern within the African Area. Greater than a yr into the pandemic, the human and the financial toll has been unprecedented, threatening a long time of growth features. Whereas the complete extent of COVID-19’s influence on human well being and associated social and financial points is but to be seen, speedy measures should be taken to mitigate future public well being emergencies.
To assist translate classes learnt from the pandemic into African pushed options that mirror regional, nationwide, and native wants, the World Well being Group has launched three flagship tasks to enhance the capability of all Member States to Put together (PROSE), Detect, (TASS) and Reply (SURGE) to public well being emergencies.
The flagship tasks will construct upon present infrastructure to place in place a well-organized accomplice help system that augments nationwide capability when wanted, incorporating classes discovered from COVID-19, Ebola and different well being emergencies. Tanzania is among the many 17 international locations earmarked for roll out within the first section of the initiative.
A scoping mission was acquired within the nation on 8 November 2022 to introduce the SURGE and TASS flagships to stakeholders; search to grasp the nation context, determine the strengths, gaps and alternatives to leverage for accelerating progress in the direction of well being safety; and talk about the roll out plan for the flagships.
Throughout the mission, WHO handed over 8 automobiles to the Ministry of Well being to facilitate in-country groups of extremely expert, resourced, and well-coordinated professionals arrive at a location of disasters or illness outbreaks inside the shortest time doable (inside 72 hours) and coordinating a speedy response to reduce their influence.
“The donation of the automobiles underscores the dedication of the World Well being Group to roll out the Flagship initiative in Tanzania. Logistics is vital in preparedness, to make sure response crew arrive on location well timed with all wanted provides,” stated the Appearing WHO Nation Consultant to Tanzania, Dr. Zabulon Yoti.
Receiving the automobiles, the Minister of Well being, Honourable Ummy Mwalimu was grateful for the continued collaboration and help from WHO.
“On behalf of the Authorities, I’m expressing our honest gratitude to WHO’s technical and monetary help that contributes to strengthening nationwide capability to supply high quality well being providers and reply to well being emergencies,” stated Hon. Ummy.
The donation of automobiles is a part of the response flagship aiming at Strengthening and Using Response Teams for Emergencies (SURGE) by making certain that governments are geared up to mobilize sources and reply to public well being emergencies inside the first 24 – 48 hours.
Particularly, the initiative will help institution and strengthening of nationwide stage groups of educated native multi-disciplinary human sources, enhance readiness and response coordination capacities on the nationwide and sub-national stage, and strengthen present infrastructure for speedy and efficient emergency response on the regional, nationwide and sub-national stage.
