SPEECH BY THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, MINISTRY OF HEALTH,

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, GENDER ELDERLY AND CHILDREN, DR.

MPOKI M. ULISUBISYA DURING OPENING CEREMONY OF THE
REGIONAL PROGRAMME REPRESENTATIVE GROUP (RPRG) FOR
NEGLECTED TROPICAL DISEASES(NTD) AND EXPANDED SPECIAL
PROJECT FOR ELIMINATION OF NEGLECTED DISEASES IN AFRICA
(ESPEN) MEETINGS IN TANZANIA 10TH 14TH OCTOBER 2016.

Dr. Richard Banda Officer Incharge WHO Country Office for

Tanzania
Dr. Dirk Engels Director for Neglected Tropical Diseases, WHO
HQ Geneva
Dr. Magda Robalo
Director for Communicable Diseases,
WHO Regional Office for Africa
Dr Mwelecele Ntuli Malecela Chair of the NTD-RPRG and
Director General, National Institute for Medical Research
Dr. Afework Tekle
Acting Coordinator for ESPEN
Representatives from the Ministries of Health and NTD Secretariat
from Ministry of Health in Tanzania
Representatives of the Drug Companies
Donors
NGDOs
Representatives from Institutes and Experts
RPRG Members
RPRG Observers
Representatives of ESPEN Steering Committee
WHO staff both local and international
Ladies and Gentlemen

I wish to thank the Regional Director for honouring our acceptance to host
the two advisory bodies of Expanded Special Project For Elimination Of
Neglected

Diseases(ESPEN)

namely

the

Regional

Programme

Representative Group (RPRG) for Neglected Tropical Diseases RPRG 5th

session and Second meeting of the ESPEN Steering Committee meeting in
Tanzania, this year. I also wish to thank all participants for sparing your time
to travel to Tanzania to attend these two important meetings.
Welcome to Tanzania.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
It gives me great pleasure to know that the RPRG is no longer exclusive to
Lymphatic Filariasis but inclusive of all Preventive Chemotherapy (PCNTDs). Regional Programme Representative Group (RPRG) for Neglected
Tropical Diseases(NTD) which is a technical advisory body to Expanded
Special Project For Elimination Of Neglected Diseases (ESPEN)

and

WHO/AFRO member states, of which Tanzania is a member, makes

recommendations to countries on how the 5 PC NTD interventions should
be implemented including guidance on underlining issues that require
operational research based on country demands.

On behalf of member

states, I wish to retaliate that RPRG guidance for country and regional NTD
programmes has enabled countries accelerate and sustain control and
elimination efforts for onchocerciasis, lymphatic filariasis, trachoma,
schistosomiasis, and soil transmitted helminthes.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Some of the countries like Tanzania and other big countries have unique or
specific issues which require RPRG to address. I hope provision for sub
committees under RPRG will look into these specific issues to ensure that
no country is left behind as we strive to attain 2020 NTD elimination goals.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I am also informed that with ESPEN, also comes the new advisory body, the
Steering Committee of which its second meeting will follow after this RPRG
meeting. Given its unique mandate we are confident that WHO AFRO will
continue to deliver and we believe that together we will win the fight against
NTDs. We are aware that Tanzania is one of the priority countries who
received request to be visited to access the NTDs burden in the country. I
know the Steering Committee and WHO will pursue this important program
and get the process moving. Since Tanzania is among countries with the
highest burden of NTDs, eliminating Neglected Tropical Diseases in
Tanzania would implya huge part of work is done.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I wish to briefly share status of NTDs control and elimination in Tanzania.
The country is endemic to more than ten neglected tropical diseases. These
include the 5 PC NTDs, lymphatic filariasis, onchocerciasis, trachoma, soil
3

transmitted helminths, and schistosomiasis, and those amenable to

innovative case management interventions including rabies, leprosy, plague,
taeniosis, cysticercosis and Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT).
Tanzania established an integrated NTD Control Programme in 2009 with an
integrated comprehensive NTD Master Plan for all endemic NTDs. This plan
is guided by the Health Sector Strategic Plan IV (2015-2020), the Primary
Health Care Development Plan (2007-2017) and the Council Health
Comprehensive Plan (CCHP) Guideline. We are proud to be among the first
countries in the region to integrate coordination and implementation forall 5
PC-NTDs as stipulated in this comprehensive plan.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
We are also glad to inform you that good progress has been made since
inception of theintegrated programme in Tanzania. We have successfully
scaled up mass drug administration from six onchocerciasis endemic
regions in 2009 to all 166 councils in 2016. We have as well begun scaling
down for some PC-NTDs. The LF map has shrunk by 75%. Only 47 councils
will require LFtreatment in 2016/2017out of the 186.Good collaboration with
our partnershave enabled the country finalize trachoma mapping and impact
surveys. By the end of 2015, 22 out of 53 districts had reached threshold for
stopping trachoma treatment with Trichiasis backlog reduced by 50%.
Preliminary epidemiological results for onchocerciasis showed 3 out of 7
onchocerciasis endemic foci had reached threshold for stopping Ivermectin
treatment.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
In areas where mass drug distribution is ongoing, 57.6 million treatments
were distributed in 2015 to 25 million people in Tanzania. Indeed the year
4

2015 marked our highest point in program history in terms of geographical

coverage, as we were able to reach all endemic councils with recommended
PCT interventions. Moving forward, as we already eluded above, our
program PCT activities will be scaling down as more and more districts
reach criteria for stopping MDA.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Tanzania remains committed to the WHO and partners and highly
appreciates the continuous support in efforts to control and eliminate NTDs
in the country. We will continue to provide an enabling environment for
partners and donors. NTDs are now part of national and local government
Health

Strategies

and

plans,

stronger

collaborative

partnershipis

continuously being built with increasing involvement of other units and nonhealth sectors including the Ministry of education and Water.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
I once again wish welcome you all to Tanzania. Please ensure that you visit
tourist sites and museums and have an opportunity to learn more about our
culture.After this meeting, you may find time to go and see tourist places like
Mount Kilimanjaro, Manyara National Park, Ngorongoro Crater, Mikumi
national park, and Zanzibar museums just to mention a few.
With these few remarks, I announce the NTDRPRG meeting officially
opened.
Thank you.