13 December 2021 · Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy

Tanzania’s Zero Leprosy Country Review

The National Leprosy Programme of Tanzania conducted a review of leprosy activities in partnership with the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) in late November. The review was requested by Tanzania’s National Leprosy Programme, headed by Dr Deusdedit Kamara. The objective of the country review was to take stock of the programme’s current status and define key priorities for the future following the Zero Leprosy Country Model.
The GPZL Secretariat provided remote support due to COVID-19 precautions and travel restrictions. National experts and Tanzania’s Ministry of Health partnered with an external review team consisting of Dr David Blaney from the US and Dr Joseph Kawuma and Dr Rose Kengonzi from Uganda.

The review team travelled across the country to assess leprosy control activities in 6 regions: Dodoma, Singida, Morogoro, Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, and Tanga. They met with providers and people who have experienced leprosy to collect district-level data. They recorded progress made by the programme and identified gaps to be filled.

The reviewers then met with other leprosy community stakeholders in Dar es Salaam to review the data and develop a high-level roadmap to zero leprosy for Tanzania. This national Zero Leprosy Roadmap aligns with the WHO Road Map for Neglected Tropical Diseases 2021 – 2030 and outlines strategies to achieve goals leading up to 2030. The roadmap will be presented to the Ministry of Health for approval and adoption. GPZL is excited to continue this important work toward ending leprosy in Tanzania alongside the country’s National Leprosy Programme.