THE government has issued an alert on Covid-19, insisting the members of the public to strictly observe preventive measures during this festive season.
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu said in a statement that Tanzanians should continue taking precautionary measures against diseases including airborne diseases.
Ms Mwalimu revealed that there has been an increase in air-borne diseases in the period between the first week of November and the second week of December 2022.
"The ministry's follow-ups have established that the main causes of such diseases are Covid-19 virus and other viruses that cause flu and coughs such as influenza viruses," the minister stated.
Ms Ummy noted that the number of Covid-19 patients has increased from 4.1 per cent to 5.5 per cent.
Statistics for the first week of November 2022 show that out of 1,154 people who tested, 47 people tested positive while the statistics for the second week of December 2022 show that, out of 1,294 people who tested, 71 people tasted positive.
The statement expounded that the number of influenza patients has increased from 4.8 per cent to 6.5 per cent adding that among 277 people who tested for Influenza in the first week of November 2022, 11 people tested positive and the same statistics in the second week of December shows that out of 155 people, 10 tested positive.
Based on the statistics, the minister reminded Tanzanians to observe precautionary measures including getting vaccinated to avoid severe illness and even death.
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The ministry also reminded people with flu symptoms to wear facemasks while in gatherings and wash their hands with soap and clean water, regularly.
"People should avoid unnecessary gatherings and observe health guidelines and personal hygiene, including covering themselves with a tissue or elbow when sneezing or coughing," the minister underlined.
Regarding Non-Communicable Diseases (NCDs), the ministry reminded Tanzanians to engage themselves in physical exercises and focus on good lifestyle.
Giving evaluation on the performance of the health sector under the sixth phase government led by President Dr Samia Suluhu Hassan, the minister said the government has made great strides in improving the health services in the country including improving health infrastructures.
More so, she said the government has managed to improve health services from the grassroots (dispensary) to the national level, as well as strengthening the availability of medicines in the Medical Stores Department (MSD), including buying modern medical equipment such as CT SCAN machines for all regional referral hospitals in the country.
She further added that the ministry has been able to increase the number of health workers at all levels in line with the Samia Super Specialisation Health Programme.
The programme is aimed at addressing the shortage of health specialists and super specialists, something which was forcing the government to incur high costs for sending the patients abroad.
She said in the New Year 2023, the ministry will continue improving and strengthening the quality of health services in the country including encouraging the introduction of the Universal Health Insurance (UHI).
