The World Health Organisation (WHO) has inaugurated a refurbished infectious disease isolation unit at the one-stop border post in Mutukula on the Tanzania-Uganda border.
WHO country representative in Tanzania, Charles Sagoe-Moses said the facility was a strategic asset in the Kagera Region’s health infrastructure, designed to bolster screening measures and prevent the cross-border spread of diseases.
“This Mutukula isolation unit will strengthen Tanzania’s health system in detecting, preventing, and responding quickly and efficiently to public health emergencies to save lives,” Sagoe-Moses said Monday.
He said the upgraded unit aligns with International Health Regulations recommendations and is part of broader efforts to fortify Tanzania’s health system, ensuring preparedness for any future emergencies and advancing the health for all agenda.
“Many lives will be transformed, and communities will be well prepared for any future emergencies or outbreaks.”
The refurbishment was funded by the United States Agency for International Development.
The inauguration comes just over year after Tanzania reported its first-ever outbreak of Marburg virus disease which affected some villages in Kagera region in March 2023. The outbreak was contained by June 2023.
Marburg virus disease is a viral haemorrhagic fever caused by the deadly Marburg virus, with symptoms are similar to Ebola virus.
Like Ebola, Marburg virus spreads through contact with body fluids of infected people. There are no vaccines or antiviral treatments for Marburg.
Kagera regional medical officer Samwel Laizer said the isolation centre would serve as a critical checkpoint for detecting and managing exposed or ill travellers, thereby protecting both local communities and transient populations.
“As a country bordered by neighbours, as well as being known for its influx of tourists, especially in a busy border area like Mutukula, the isolation centre comes at an opportune time to strengthen our resilience against future outbreaks,” Laizer said.
JN/APA