Tanzania reinforces fight against non-communicable diseases

Tanzanian health authorities on Monday said plans are underway to reinforce the fight against non-communicable diseases (NCDs), including cancer and diabetes.

Deputy Minister for Health Godwin Mollel told parliament in the capital Dodoma that the government has formulated a curriculum for NCDs for healthcare workers.

“The curriculum will enable the healthcare workers to learn about NCDs and be able to raise awareness to members of the public,” Mollel told the House when he responded to a lawmaker who wanted the government to explain measures it has taken to educate people on NCDs, chiefly cancer.

Mollel said other measures that the government has taken included running programs that raise awareness of the NCDs on televisions and radios.

“The government is also targeting newspapers and social media for raising awareness to members of the public about the NCDs,” he said, adding that campaigns were also being used as platforms for raising awareness.

Mollel said the government of Tanzania used about 99.09 billion Tanzanian shillings (about 42 million U.S. dollars) annually for diagnosing and treating people suffering from NCDs. Enditem