MOROGORO: THE Tanzanian government has ordered the Regional, National Hospital, District Referral Hospitals, and Health Centres to increase the speed of monitoring respiratory diseases as well as other epidemic diseases.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Grace Magembe issued the instructions today, February 25, 2026, in the Morogoro region while speaking to Chief Medical Officers and executives of service centres that monitor respiratory diseases (Sentinel Surveillance Centers).
“We continue to empower more centers in monitoring respiratory diseases, especially early collection of samples and early submission to the National Laboratory, this work is the country’s defense against epidemics and there is no alternative”, said Dr Magembe.
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In addition, Dr Magembe has urged the community to stop the indiscriminate use of “antibiotics” to control the resistance of pathogens to drugs, which leads to many failing to recover after using some “antibiotics.”
“If a person feels a cold, cough accompanied by fever, body fatigue, headache, etc. runs to the pharmacy to buy antibiotics, that is not right, if you feel sick, go to the medical center and tell them what you are sick with after being tested instead of taking medicine indiscriminately” said Dr Magembe.
In another step, Dr Magembe said that despite the end of the Cholera disease, he has called on citizens to continue taking precautions to protect themselves from these diseases, including washing hands with running water and soap, proper use of toilet,s and using clean and safe water.
Also, Dr Magembe has used the opportunity to thank stakeholders for continuing to collaborate with the government in combating epidemic diseases, including the World Health Organization (WHO), as well as the International Organization for Pathogens (PATH).
For his part, the Assistant Director of Epidemic Disease Surveillance from the Ministry, Dr Vida Mmbaga, said that Tanzania has built a strong capacity to deal with epidemic diseases.