RESEARCHER UNCOVERS THE HISTORY OF THE FIGHT AGAINST MALARIA THROUGH NATIONAL ARCHIVES

 

Adeladius Makwega

DODOMA

DODOMA, Friday, October 16, 2026. President’s Office, Department of National Records and Archives of Tanzania, has assisted researcher Mtechura Brighton Winghton, an Assistant Lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, who visited the office to collect archival documents relating to the history of the fight against malaria in Tanzania.

Speaking about the services provided to the researcher, an officer from the department, Ms. Ngairo, said that he was among the stakeholders who use national archival records to complete their research projects.

 

“He is one of our stakeholders. Today, he requested several files relating to malaria and how Tanzanians fought the disease before independence. Among the documents identified was one contained in a Prime Minister’s file titled ‘MALARIA: Notes on Its Cause, Prevention and Cure’, dated 1952, which was issued by the Director of Medical Services of Tanganyika,” Ms. Ngairo said.

Speaking while reviewing pages of historical files, Winghton expressed satisfaction with the support he had received from the institution, noting that his research was progressing well.

 

“I am grateful for the opportunity to review several files, and the work is progressing well. Our research focuses on malaria in Ifakara, Morogoro, and Malale, Tinde, Shinyanga. I am also visiting various institutions to gather more information about how our predecessors fought these diseases using the limited resources available to them,” he said.

The researcher also thanked The President’s Office, Department of National Records and Archives of Tanzania, for the assistance he has consistently received during his visits. However, he explained that he was still searching for important archival records relating to the history of the Ifakara Malaria Research Institute.

 

“I have requested the speech delivered by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere on October 18, 1973, during the inauguration of the Ifakara Malaria Institute. While my fellow lecturer was abroad, he obtained a video showing Mwalimu Nyerere visiting the institution. However, we have not yet found the speech he delivered on that day. We are still searching for it,” Winghton said.

 

For their part, officers from the President’s Office, Department of National Records and Archives of Tanzania, in Dodoma, led by Ms. Ngairo, received the request and stated that they had already begun searching for the speech to assist the researcher in completing his study.

Winghton is among the researchers who visit this public institution to access various records and archival documents that support the completion of their research projects.

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