PANGANI – In a significant step toward strengthening community health systems, Amref Health Africa in Tanzania has equipped local health teams in Pangani District with digital tools to support electronic Event-Based Surveillance (e-EBS), enabling quicker detection and response to public health threats.
Speaking during the official handover of ICT equipment, the Executive Director of Pangani District Council, Mr. Edward Fussi, commended the initiative, calling it a timely intervention.
“These tools will empower our frontline health workers to report health threats swiftly and accurately. This is a major boost to our district’s disease surveillance capacity,” said Mr. Fussi.
The support is part of the Afya Himilivu Project, funded by the Embassy of Ireland, and the Global Health Security Agenda (GHSA) Project, funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), in collaboration with the Ministry of Health and PORALG.
A total of 88 Community Health Workers and 6 Ward Health Officers in Pangani were trained on e-EBS, with 182 CHWs and 20 officers trained in Tanga City Council.
Lusungu Ngailo, Project Manager at Amref Tanzania, emphasized the importance of community-level readiness in addressing public health emergencies.
“Early detection saves lives. By equipping CHWs with the right tools and knowledge, we’re ensuring communities are not only the first to know but the first to act,” he said.
The equipment and training are expected to improve real-time health alert reporting, ultimately strengthening Tanzania’s overall health security.
