TMA and IRI in collaboration with WMO, NASA and HCF are hosting a training workshop

The Tanzanian Meteorological Agency (TMA) in collaboration with the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) with support from WMO, NASA and HCF are hosting a training workshop and stakeholder meeting on the “Use of Climate Information in Malaria Stratification / Early Warning Systems / Impact Assessment for Malaria Interventions” in Tanzania,from October 16-18, 2013 at the Blue Pearl Hotel

In Tanzania, malaria continues to be a major public health concern with over 10 to 12 million clinical cases reported a year. Despite large scale investments in prevention and control, opportunities to improve disease stratification and risk maps, early warning systems and impact assessments can still be further aided by leveraging climate and environmental information and by strengthening multi-sectoral partnerships to reduce the burden of this highly endemic disease.

Activities led by the Tanzanian Meteorological Agency (TMA) and the International Research Institute for Climate and Society (IRI) have recently combined available ground observations of rainfall and temperature with satellite and other proxies, pioneering new open-access products and creating one of the highest resolution and longest data records for Africa. In particular, outcomes of this work include:

·         An unprecedented thirty-year time series of ten-daily rainfall and temperature data for every 10 km grid across the country;

·         An online mapping service installed at TMA providing user-friendly tools for visualization, querying, and accessing information

·         Increased technical capacity at TMA.

The new data products combined with other environmental factors, which can be readily monitored using remote-sensing products available through the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), can help deliver and support innovations in malaria prevention and control.

The workshop will showcase TMA’s recently launched high resolution products and will demonstrate examples of how they can be used in combination with NASA products for disease stratification, improved early warning systems and impact assessments.

Monica Mutoni
TMA- PRO