April 30, 2026

The National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), on 30th April 2026, officially launched a new project aimed at strengthening Tanzania’s capacity to predict and respond to Mpox outbreak using evidence-based scientific approaches.Speaking during the inception meeting, the Director of Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Ministry of Health, Dr. Erasto Sylvanus, said the project comes at a critical time as the country continues to enhance its preparedness for public health emergencies. He emphasized that the initiative will support a shift from reactive response to proactive planning through the use of epidemic modelling and risk mapping.He further noted that the project outputs will guide decision making, improve resource allocation, and strengthen the overall effectiveness of outbreak response.The project’s Principal Investigator from NIMR, Dr. Angelina M. Lutambi, highlighted that the initiative will also focus on building local capacity in epidemic modelling and geospatial analysis, enabling Tanzanian experts to independently manage future public health threats.Adding to these efforts, the Programme Lead for Thanzi at ECSA-HC, Mr. Edward Kataika, emphasized the importance of modelling in strengthening health systems. He noted that ECSA Health Community promotes the use of modelling as a key approach to generating evidence for decision-making. According to him, modelling will complement other tools and approaches such as economic evaluation to inform better allocation of limited resources within health systems.A key highlight of the meeting was a presentation by Mr. Emmanuel Mnjowe, a software developer representing ECSA-HC, on the Thanzi Model, a newly developed predictive tool designed to support outbreak forecasting and response planning. The model is expected to play a significant role in strengthening data-driven decision-making in managing Mpox and other public health threats.Implemented in collaboration with key partners including the Ministry of Health, the Prime Minister’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PO-RALG), the East, Central and Southern Africa Health Community (ECSA-HC), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), the project is expected to generate critical insights that will enhance timely and effective interventions.The launch of this project marks a significant step forward in strengthening Tanzania’s preparedness and response to emerging and re-emerging infectious diseases.