The administration has stated its intention to address several healthcare challenges, particularly the fight against pandemic diseases. Ms. Ummy Mwalimu, Minister of Health, made the remarks at the end of the 75th World Health Assembly, which took place in Geneva, Switzerland, from May 22 to May 28, this year.
She emphasized the significance of cross-sector collaboration to accomplish the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which include better health for all. “Tanzanian inhabitants should continue to prioritize health issues, particularly peacekeeping,” she said, referring to the subject of this year’s conference, “Health for Peace, Peace for Health.”
The World Health Assembly is where the World Health Organization’s 194 member states govern the organization. It is the world’s leading health policy-making body, with health ministers from member countries serving as members. The Health Assembly meets once a year in Geneva, Switzerland, to make policy decisions on a wide range of health issues.
Tanzania made a presentation on 25 of the 28 agenda items covered. Among the key subjects tackled were lowering mother and infant mortality rates, as well as tackling communicable diseases like AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria. Others include the prevention and control of noncommunicable illnesses, the expansion of health-care systems, and efforts to combat epidemics, particularly those that threaten global health security.
The creation of a new institution (the Pandemic Treaty) to cope with disasters and catastrophes, member nations’ financial commitments to the World Health Organization, and the World Health Organization’s engagement in disaster and emergency response were all on the agenda. The session elected Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus to a second term as World Health Organization Director-General (WHO).
Numerous leaders attended the meeting, including the Zanzibar Minister for Health, Nassoro Ahmed Mazrui, the Deputy Minister for Ministry of State in the President’s Office, Regional Administration and Local Government, Dr. Festo Dugange, the Permanent Secretary of the Zanzibar Ministry of Health, Dr. Fatma Mrisho, the Chairperson of the Parliamentary Committee on Social Services and Development, Mr. Stanislaus Nyongo, and various health officials from across the country.
Meanwhile, the World Health Assembly delegates endorsed a record number of recommendations on non-communicable diseases (NCDs) such as cancer, diabetes, heart and lung disease, mental health, and risk factors. The declaration comes ahead of the fourth United Nations General Assembly high-level conference on NCD prevention and control, which will take place in 2025 and aims to accelerate progress toward generally approved NCD and SDG targets.
Initiatives to minimize NCD mortality in preparation for this summit include a new implementation roadmap as well as an agreed-upon planning method. The roadmap aims to help the Member States accelerate their efforts to support their populations and meet the NCD-related SDGs targets.
A new action plan for the Global Coordination Mechanism on the Prevention and Control of NCDs was also agreed upon, which is a platform that brings together key stakeholders working to improve the NCD landscape by strengthening multi sector and multi stakeholder action and collaboration to address NCDs and mental health.