President Hassan appoints new Chief Medical Officer to strengthen the fight against disease outbreaks
Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr Grace Magembe
Justice Sivangilwa Mwangesi from the Ethics Secretariat administered the oath.President Hassan reminded Dr. Magembe of the heavy responsibility in her new role and urged her to stay focused. She emphasized the need for proper supervision of disease outbreaks to prevent travel restrictions and other issues.
Her remarks followed the confirmation of a Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) case in Biharamulo District, Kagera Region. The World Health Organization (WHO) had earlier reported eight deaths in Kagera linked to a suspected outbreak.
On January 11, 2025, the government sent experts to investigate. Among the collected samples, only one tested positive for MVD.
WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus stated that $3 million (Sh7.5 billion) was allocated from its Emergency Fund to support Tanzania’s response, in addition to a previous $50,000.
Addressing elected officials, President Hassan urged them to focus on results, stating that progress must continue and responsibilities must be taken seriously.
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Meanwhile, Chief Justice (CJ) Prof. Ibrahim Juma noted that expanding the Court of Appeal’s bench had helped reduce case backlogs and overcrowding in prisons.
In November 2024, Prisons Commissioner General Jeremiah Katungu reported that increasing the number of justices and judges had eased prison congestion. The maximum capacity of 29,000 inmates had dropped, leaving 2,000 spaces available, allowing prison officers to focus on other duties.
