For Immediate Release
Press Release
Kagera- The United States Government, in collaboration with the World Health Organization (WHO) and Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, handed over the refurbished infectious disease isolation unit in the Mutukula, the Tanzania-Uganda border community in Kagera Region.
Refurbishment of the unit, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), was initiated during the March 2023 outbreak of the Marburg Virus Disease in Kagera. The availability of the Marburg isolation units was critical to the successful rapid response that quickly contained the outbreak last year.
“We are honored to be here to witness the completion of this life-saving isolation unit, and we congratulate the Government of Tanzania for its continued efforts to prepare the country against future outbreaks,” said Laura Chittenden, program adviser for USAID/Tanzania.
With no available antiviral treatments for Marburg, functional isolation units are important for interrupting direct human-to-human spread of the disease. The units reduce the spread of infections in the community and healthcare workforce, and also ensure proper care for both confirmed and suspected Marburg cases. The unit’s location in Mutukula will be beneficial if future outbreaks occur.
“For a border area as busy as Mutukula, the isolation center comes at an opportune time to strengthen the country’s resilience during future outbreaks,” said Dr Samwel Laizer, Kagera’s Regional Medical Officer. “Thank you to WHO and USAID. With more collocations we can achieve universal health coverage in Tanzania.”
For more information, contact USAID/Tanzania Development Outreach and Communications at at DarDocs@USAID.gov
