A doctor with the 36th Chinese medical team to Tanzania's Zanzibar gives a lecture on diabetes prevention and management to local residents on Pemba Island, Zanzibar, Tanzania, Nov. 14, 2026. (The 36th Chinese medical team to Tanzania's Zanzibar/Handout via Xinhua)
DAR ES SALAAM, Nov. 15 (Xinhua) -- The 36th Chinese medical team to Tanzania's Zanzibar on Saturday provided free medical consultations and diabetes screening to residents of Pemba Island as part of activities marking World Diabetes Day.
The team's Pemba branch conducted the outreach at Tironi Community Health Point in Mkoani District, South Pemba Region, as part of China's "100 Medical Teams in 1,000 Villages" program. It combined diabetes awareness education with multidisciplinary medical services to improve healthcare access in underserved communities.
During the event, Chinese internal medicine physician He Yanhong educated residents on diabetes risk factors, blood glucose monitoring, healthy diets, physical exercise, medication adherence, and the early identification of complications affecting the eyes, kidneys, and feet.
The medical team also provided free blood glucose and blood pressure checks, consultations and basic medicines.
Specialists in internal medicine, surgery, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics, orthopedics, ear, nose and throat, anesthesiology and radiology attended to residents, offering individual treatment plans and health advice.
Haji Bakar Haji, an official from Mkoani district health authorities, said the initiative addressed healthcare challenges facing remote communities, where residents often travel long distances to access medical services and receive follow-up care for chronic illnesses.
He said the outreach had raised public awareness of diabetes prevention while reducing the financial burden of seeking medical attention.
Wang Shu, deputy leader of the 36th Chinese medical team to Zanzibar and head of its Pemba branch, said the team would continue organizing mobile medical consultations, chronic disease awareness campaigns and training for local healthcare workers.
He said the activities aimed to strengthen grassroots healthcare services, improve local capacity to prevent and manage chronic diseases, and deepen China-Tanzania cooperation in the health sector.
World Diabetes Day is observed annually on Nov. 14 to raise global awareness about diabetes. This chronic disease occurs when the body cannot produce enough insulin or effectively use the insulin it produces, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. ■