ZANZIBAR: PEMBA Island has gained increased international recognition following the successful conclusion of a two-week conference on Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs), which brought together experts, university students and programme managers from five countries.
The training focused on strengthening capacity in disease diagnostics, laboratory data analysis, and professional knowledge exchange, with the aim of improving healthcare services for communities affected by NTDs.
Participants from Italy, the United Kingdom, Germany, Switzerland and Tanzania attended the meeting, which was described as part of broader efforts to enhance global collaboration in the fight against neglected diseases.
The initiative also aimed to build the capacity of health professionals in the effective use of scientific research and data.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) Representative in Zanzibar, Dr Ndougou Salla Ba, said the training provided participants with an opportunity to learn new approaches to controlling NTDs and improving data analysis, an important step toward developing more effective healthcare strategies.
“Collaboration between institutions has strengthened the ability of professionals to tackle neglected diseases through the proper use of research and health data,” said Dr Ba.
Mr Antonio Montresol, Manager of the Ivo de Carneri Foundation in Italy and head of the NTDs programme, noted that the Pemba Public Health Laboratory continues to serve as a key hub for NTD research in East Africa.
He explained that the laboratory has played a significant role in disease diagnosis and in building the capacity of experts from different countries.
“The Pemba Public Health Laboratory is the first of its kind in East Africa in conducting research and diagnostics for these diseases, and it has become an important training centre for many professionals,” Montresol said.
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Meanwhile, the Chief Executive Officer of the Pemba Public Health Laboratory, Dr Said Mohammed Ali, said the training had enhanced participants’ technical skills and would strengthen international collaboration in research and control of NTDs in Zanzibar.
Closing the conference at the Public Health Laboratory in Wawi, Pemba, the Ministry of Health liaison officer (Pemba), Dr Khamis Bilal Ali, said the participation of delegates from various countries continues to promote Zanzibar, particularly Pemba, on the global stage in the fields of health research and laboratory science.
“This conference has elevated Pemba’s international profile and we believe it will open up more opportunities for collaboration in research, training and the improvement of healthcare services for the people of Zanzibar and Tanzania as a whole,” he said.
He reaffirmed that the Zanzibar Revolutionary Government will continue to work closely with development partners and international institutions to strengthen research, training and healthcare services aimed at controlling neglected tropical diseases and improving public health.