Today, the Ifakara Health Institute joins the nation in celebrating Saba Saba Day — a national holiday in Tanzania observed every year on July 7^th – a historic day on which the Tanganyika African National Union (TANU) – the national political party that guided Tanzania to independence in 1961 – was founded in 1954.

The term “Saba Saba” means “Seven Seven” in Swahili, referring to the date 7/7, that’s July 7.

In 1963, Saba Saba was officially recognized as a public holiday under the Public Holidays Act – and recently, it has largely been used as an opportunity to highlight economic exhibitions and business promotions through trade fairs across Tanzania, notably – the Dar es Salaam International Trade Fair.

We wish all Tanzanians a joyful and reflective Saba Saba!