Tanzania moves to bolster preparedness for health emergencies at community level

**ARUSHA: **THE Director of the Emergency and Disaster Management Department at the Ministry of Health, Dr Erasto Sylvanus, has stressed the need to strengthen preparedness for health emergencies at the community and local government levels.

Dr Sylvanus said the initial response to health emergencies often begins with an individual, family or community before the situation escalates to the national level, making it essential to strengthen communities’ capacity to identify health risks, report them promptly and take appropriate action.

Speaking at the Second International Primary Health Care Conference (IPHCC2026), Dr Sylvanus said Africa does not lack policies, plans or strategies for responding to health emergencies. Rather, the major challenge is ensuring that these plans are effectively implemented, particularly at the frontline level.

He said greater priority should be given to implementation at the local level, particularly by frontline health workers, communities and local government authorities.

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“We need to shift preparedness from the national and regional levels to the community level. An emergency begins with an individual, a family or a village before it becomes a nationwide problem,” Dr Sylvanus said.

According to Dr Sylvanus, every local government authority should have a Health Risk Profile identifying the types of disasters and disease outbreaks that could occur in its area.

He said the profile should also identify periods when specific health risks are most likely to emerge, as well as the capacity available at the local level to detect risks, report them and respond in a timely manner.

He further underscored the importance of health facilities and health workers as key components of early warning systems. At the same time, communities should be equipped with the knowledge and capacity to recognise warning signs and report them early so that appropriate action can be taken.

Strengthening these systems at the community level, he said, would enable countries to improve their capacity to detect and contain health emergencies before they spread and cause widespread harm to communities.

Dr Sylvanus emphasised that emergency preparedness should not be viewed solely as the responsibility of central government. Instead, it requires coordinated participation from communities, health facilities, health workers and local government authorities.

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