Tanzania: concern over TB outbreak among miners in the Manyara region

In Tanzania, health experts are worried that an outbreak of tuberculosis (TB) among miners in the Manyara region could escalate into a national crisis without urgent preventive measures. Speaking at a special educational seminar on TB in the Mirerani Tanzanite mines, Dr Sweetheart Sheleko, the Tuberculosis and Leprosy Coordinator for Simanjiro District in the Manyara Region, stressed that poor working conditions and prolonged exposure to dust are the main factors behind the rising number of TB cases among miners. The dust the miners inhale when descending into the pits damages the lungs and accelerates the spread of the TB bacteria. According to Dr Sheleko, the most vulnerable group is individuals between 35 and 50, who have worked in the mines for several years and compromised their immune systems due to long-term dust exposure. She emphasized the need to raise awareness about the disease among miners, dispelling superstitious beliefs and encouraging regular medical check-ups.
Speaking at the seminar, Mr Thomas Magoti, Northern Zone Coordinator for the Tuberculosis and AIDS Control Response in Tanzania (MKUTA), said his organization is working closely with miners, offering health education and collecting samples for analysis. Mr Joram Madale, MKUTA Chairman for the Mirerani mines, also appealed to health authorities and mining companies to provide miners with protective gear to reduce their exposure to dust and other harmful substances. According to Dr Happiness Mvungi of Kibong’oto National Infectious Diseases Hospital (KIDH), in 2024 over 500 miners were diagnosed with TB, mostly in the Mirerani mine area.