Imagine being one of the few people in the world with a mysterious illness that no one can diagnose and nowhere to turn for help. This is the reality for many people living with rare diseases who often face...
A social media post went viral on WhatsApp recently, leaving people wondering if oral HIV-self testing kits are now commercially available in pharmacies across Tanzania. Not many people were able to explain the post, not even the medics—except a...
John*, a long-distance truck driver and a resident of Dar es Salaam, tested positive for HIV through community outreach screening at Chanika Health Centre in the city, where he was re-tested, offered counselling and initiated treatment with antiretroviral drugs...
As a growing number of countries impose flight bans on southern African nations due to concerns over the new Omicron variant, World Health Organization (WHO) urges countries to follow science and the International Health Regulations (2005).
Travel restrictions may play...
Three weeks ago, I attended the funeral of my friend's father. As usual in our setup, before last respects and going to the burial site, we normally have lunch. There was a colourful buffet and a lot of people...
Zul Premji, born 67 years ago in Iringa, Southern Tanzania, is a scientist who has seen the highs and lows of the country’s health system—its triumphs and failures. He has largely spent his 40-year career in public health at...
On Wednesday July 1st last year, we woke up to the news that Tanzania had become a lower-middle-income country. The World Bank (WB) announced the milestone five years earlier than the expected timeframe. This by far remains one of...
The new variant of the virus that causes COVID-19 has been reported in Botswana, the Gambia and Zambia as daily case numbers of the disease in Africa exceed those recorded in the first wave peak on the continent, says the...
Global reports about development and deployment of vaccines against SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, have been received with mixed feelings. News about vaccines should have been a positive development at this time when the world battles an unprecedented pandemic...
People afflicted with non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as diabetes and cancer need long-term health interventions, however, in most low- and middle-income countries; including Tanzania, projects designed to address such diseases at community level are often short-term. This calls for...