Field epidemiology residents join polio surveillance efforts in Tanzania
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by
AFENET
The Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (TFELTP) has deployed 33 Advanced Cohort 17 residents to 10 regions across the country to support intensified Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) and priority vaccine-preventable disease (VPD) surveillance.
As of 7 January 2026, two circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) positive environmental samples were reported from specimens collected on 16 December 2025 in Mwanza.
The deployment follows a five-day intensive workshop in Dar es Salaam, where residents received training on disease surveillance principles, poliomyelitis epidemiology, and practical skills in case detection and investigation. TFELTP, African Field Epidemiology Network (AFENET) and U.S. CDC’s Polio Eradication Branch epidemiologists facilitated the training.
The residents are working in teams of three to four in Mwanza, Mara, Geita, Simiyu, Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Singida, Morogoro, Pwani, and Iringa regions, focusing on high- and medium-risk districts. Their tasks include active AFP and febrile rash illness case searches, reviewing surveillance records, validating suspected cases, and supporting timely case investigations.
This initiative is part of Tanzania’s response to the detection of circulating vaccine-derived poliovirus type 2 (cVDPV2) and aligns with national and global polio eradication strategies.
The TFELTP aims to strengthen Tanzania’s field epidemiology workforce and enhance the country’s capacity for early detection, investigation, and response to polio and other priority vaccine-preventable diseases.
