Dar es Salaam. Good morning! The Chanzo is here with a rundown of major news stories reported in Tanzania on Wednesday, September 28, 2022.

Stakeholders concerned about TZ’s ability to fight against cancer

Stakeholders on non-communicable diseases have raised the alarm about what appears as Tanzania’s limited ability to fight against cancer which has been described as one of the leading causes of preventable death in the East African nation.

The observation was made recently during the 4th biannual Greater Horn Oncology Symposium (GHOS) held between September 23 and September 25, 2025, in Tanzania’s commercial capital Dar es Salaam.

Speaking during the event, Mr John W. Robitscher, the CEO of the U.S.-based National Association of Chronic Disease Directors, said that the “dire situation” in Tanzania with regard to the fight against cancer convinced his organisation to pilot their first efforts abroad in the country.

“This country of nearly 45 million people currently has only one operative cancer treatment centre, accessible to only one per cent of the population,” a statement quoted Mr Robitscher as saying.

“The need is dire, immediate, and with each passing day, there are lives lost from cancer that could have been prevented or treated effectively,” he added. “With inadequacies this dramatic, any delay in care is tantamount to a death sentence.”

During the symposium, Mr Robitscher and John W. Patton, Vice President of NACDD’s Center for Partnerships and Innovation, shared a presentation featuring anecdotal evidence on the type of work NACDD has done to promote prevention tactics and tools in the U.S., focusing specifically on their work in rural America, where demographic indicators, such as poverty and immediate access to medical care, are analogous to those in Tanzania.

Govt plans to vaccinate over 60,000 dogs against rabies

Minister for Livestock and Fisheries Mashimba Ndaki said on Wednesday that the government is planning to vaccinate 60,000 dogs against rabies across the country in one week as part of activities to mark World Rabies Day.

Ndaki said the ministry has distributed 60,000 free vaccines against rabies to dog owners in different parts of the country.

“Our veterinary officers are vaccinating dogs against rabies across the country at this moment,” said Ndaki in the capital Dodoma, adding that the vaccination of the 60,000 dogs against rabies was planned to be undertaken between Sept. 26 and Oct. 2.

Apart from the distribution of the 60,000 free dogs’ vaccines against rabies by the ministry, he said, vaccination of dogs against the deadly disease is mandatory.

Ndaki said the 2019 National Rabies Control Strategy has put in place measures aimed at eliminating rabies in Tanzania by 2030 as envisioned by the World Health Organization and the World Organization for Animal Health.

Ndaki said rabies is responsible for an estimated 1,500 deaths annually in Tanzania.

Over 3,000 cattle seized in Ruaha National Park in 11 days

At least 3,492 cattle that encroached on the Ruaha National Park have been seized by authorities in 11 days, Xinhua news agency said, quoting a senior wildlife conservation official.

Godwell Ole Meing’ataki, the assistant conservation commissioner and commanding officer for the Ruaha National Park, said the cattle were seized in a special crackdown that began on September 14 and through September 24.

“The crackdown on livestock that encroaches the national park will be continuous until all domestic animals are removed,” Ole Meing’ataki told Xinhua by phone, adding that the crackdown is being conducted by game rangers in collaboration with the police.

He said most of the cattle were found grazing in the Ihefu wetlands that form part of the Ruaha National Park.

He said owners of the cattle were ordered to remove their animals after they paid fines.

Ole Meing’ataki said wildlife conservation laws prohibited grazing of cattle in national parks or any other human activities.

The cattle were destroying the wetlands that are the main source of water for the Great Ruaha River that flows into the Ruaha National Park, he said.

“The cattle are also destroying natural vegetation which is crucial for the conservation of water,” Xinhua quoted Ole Meing’ataki as saying.

The Ruaha National Park covers an area of 20,226 square kilometres, making it one of the largest national parks in Africa.

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