Urban Poverty & Climate Change in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:

158 cases of cholera in 2009 (6 below and 152 above 5 years of age), all of which were
fatal. Temeke Municipality was reported to be leading in cholera epidemics in Dar es
Salaam. PRB (2007) report that since the first major cholera epidemic was reported in
southern Tanzania in 1977, it has spread to most regions of the country and has remained
endemic and a chronic problem in Dar es Salaam ever since. Between 1 January and 31
December 2006, a total of 14,297 cases, including 254 deaths (1.8 percent case fatality
rate) were reported from 16 regions of Tanzania’s 21 regions. Dar es Salaam represented
62.7 percent of the total cases and 101 deaths (39.8 percent of total deaths; WHO, 2008).
Dengue fever
Dengue fever is a tropical disease transmitted by four types of arthropod-borne viruses
through a bite from an infected Aedes aegypti (rarely Aedes albopictus) mosquito species.
The geographic spread of the infection is similar to that of malaria, although unlike
malaria, which is also found in remote rural areas, dengue infections most often occur in
the urban areas of tropical nations (Tomashek, 2009). Tourist facilities in Dar es Salaam
(e.g., hotels, lodges) receive many visitors from tropical countries where the disease is
prevalent. Tomashek reports of transmission of the dengue virus through exposure to
dengue-infected blood, organs, or other tissues from blood transfusions; solid organ or
bone marrow transplants; needle stick injuries; and mucous membrane contact with
dengue-infected blood. Poor disposal of hospital waste, including syringes, could be a
possible route of transmission of dengue; private health facilities have mushroomed over
the city and hospital waste is mixed with other type of waste (industrial, domestic etc),
with potentially serious consequences for waste scavengers, who usually work barefooted
and sort through waste with bare hands.
Climate change is likely to affect dengue fever outbreaks by creating increased breeding
environments for mosquitoes, similar to the way it will affect malaria incidence. Dengue
fever alerts have been generated from time to time in Dar es Salaam in recent years but
the disease has generally been contained to a few cases.
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