Reducing deaths and injury from road traffic crashes through multisectoral collaboration.

Introduction: road traffic injuries are the eighth cause of mortality globally, killing about 1.35 million people and leaving more than 50 million others with permanent injuries and disabilities yearly. In Tanzania, the impact of road traffic crashes is still high despite a noticeable reduction in the number of associated injuries. This paper seeks to lay the foundation for promoting multisectoral actions and collaborations in dealing with public health concerns due to increased consequences caused by road traffic deaths and injuries. Methods: in 2015, a multisectoral approach was adopted to implement a 5-year (2015-2020) road safety program that aimed to advocate for amendment of the Road Traffic Act of 1973, Chapter 168 Revised Edition 2002. A series of consultative sessions were held between government and non-state actors, including different committees formed to feed each other on the agenda. The program was implemented through the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Home Affairs in collaboration with World Health Organisation and civil society organisations. Results: it has been noted that there is a direct relation with a set of combined policy-level interactions seeking to improve the legal environment for road safety. The program committee, civil society organisations, and parliamentarians' forum were solicited as essential stakeholders in advancing policy reform. Together they conducted a series of consultative meetings, resulting in having a Bill tabled in the Parliament as a first draft. This informed policymakers and raised their attention to the magnitude of road traffic crashes and the country's social and economic burden. Conclusion: efforts still need to be expanded to analyse the existing data to understand the extent to which risk factors contribute to road crashes, injuries, and deaths. There is a need to have a strong Government involvement in strengthening ownership and sustainability of any public health intervention, such as road safety.

Contribution of community champions to accelerate the uptake of COVID-19 vaccination in Rukwa region, Tanzania, February - October 2022.

Introduction: Tanzania is among the African countries which started COVID-19 vaccination late (August 2021) compared to other countries in the African continent. By mid-March 2022, overall vaccine uptake was 13% of the targeted population, which was very low compared to other countries. We describe the contribution of champions in the Rukwa region that led to an increase in vaccine coverage rate in Tanzania. Methods: a community-based campaign was conducted using community champions from July 15th to August 31st, 2022. A baseline assessment was conducted focusing on the key drivers, barriers, and enablers for COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the region. A working session to develop IEC materials and messages tailored to addressing the issues raised in the community to be used in the campaign in the region was conducted, followed by the campaign's launch. Community engagement and sensitizations, which contributed to the rise of vaccinated people, were based on house-to-house visits, village meetings, and visiting community gatherings such as marketplaces, places of worship, and sports areas, which were done by champions alongside vaccinators. Results: the campaign contributed to the increase of vaccination coverage because, before the start of the campaign, the vaccination coverage was 10% as of July 14th, 2022. After the campaign, which started on July 15th to August 31st, 2022, the coverage increased by 12%. During the post-evaluation exercise after the campaign, the coverage keeps increased and reached 94% by October 2022. The coverage kept increasing even after the intervention's end due to the campaign's positive effect. Conclusion: the community still needs correct information to avoid misinformation and hesitancy, especially when introducing new disease response mechanisms such as vaccines. The community champions who are based in the community play a critical role in addressing community concerns and contribute to the effectiveness of the implementation; hence sustainability is crucial.