Dar es Salaam. President Samia Suluhu Hassan said yesterday that the lack of sufficient road connectivity among African countries remains one of the obstacles to trade prosperity and economic growth on the continent.
President Hassan said that, unlike the other countries, Tanzania has made significant strides in road connectivity, both domestically and with those linking the country with its neighbours.
The Head of State was speaking in Matai Town, the administrative seat of Kalambo District, Rukwa Region, during the launch of the Sh133.2 billion road project stretching from Sumbawanga-Matai-Kasanga Port.
The President, who commenced her tour of the region earlier Tuesday, July 16, 2024, inaugurated the Sh4.5 billion Kalambo District administration block that would enable citizens to receive different social services under one roof.
Addressing the public during a live broadcast event, President Hassan said poor road connectivity forces most African countries to opt for product shipment to Europe and the rest of the world instead of trading with neighbouring countries.
“Since increased road connectivity boosts trade growth and supports economic development, you (citizens) are obliged to safeguard the road infrastructure by avoiding everything that could damage the roads,” she said, urging district authorities to increase supervision.
She said the government incurred huge costs in the construction of one kilometre of tarmac road, noting that the amount was enough to provide two fully furnished healthcare centres.
She warned transporters to avoid speeding, noting that, apart from claiming the lives of innocent citizens, road carnage increases budgetary demands in the health sector. She said previously transporters spent 24 hours travelling the 107.14 kilometres to the Kasanga Port, saying that the road would reduce the travel time to only two hours.
“Since the Kasanga Port connects Tanzania with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), the movement of cargo, especially agricultural produce, will be significantly enhanced, therefore improving trade volume between Tanzania and its neighbours,” she said.
“While the government is working to provide a ship for the provision of transport and transportation services on Lake Tanganyika, you (citizens) and agro-processors are challenged to increase crop production to benefit from the investments made for the efficient recovery of invested funds,” added President Hassan.
Furthermore, President Hassan said a total of Sh1.6 billion has been disbursed to the region for the construction of a modern district hospital. She said the initiatives to bring health services closer to citizens have significantly reduced the under-five child-mother mortality ratio.
According to her, another Sh1.8 billion was issued to the region in the last three years for the execution of 60 water projects in 106 villages, out of which 43 ventures have been completed.
The completion of these water projects, the president said, will significantly increase the access to clean and safe water in the villages to 72 percent, about 13 percent below the 85 percent directed by the CCM election manifesto.
“Still, we have time for the implementation of other water projects before 2025, when the realisation of CCM directives is forecast,” she said, adding that the drilling of wells in the villages lacking nearby water sources was underway.
The chief executive officer of the Tanzania National Roads Agency (Tanroads), Eng Mohamed Besta, said the architecture and construction of the 107.14 kilometres tarmac roads project were jointly executed by the China Railway Seventh Group and the New Century Company Limited of China.
“The project was completed in April 2024, costing Sh150.5 billion. The costs involve construction, consulting, and compensation,” he said.
Read: Surge in service sector investments to bolster intra-African services sector
Works Minister Innocent Bashungwa said the government was also constructing the Matai-Kasesya (50 km) Road to further improve transport and transportation with neighbouring countries, as well as decongesting the Tunduma border.
Responding to the request from Kalambo Constituency lawmaker Josephat Kandege, who asked the Sh1.5 billion bridge constructed in the district to be named after her name, President Hassan said she ruled out that it should be named after Mama Maria Nyerere in honour of her contribution to the country’s liberation struggles and the nation’s development.
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Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
Addis Ababa, January 20, 2025</Strong> — Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. This outbreak marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.
In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement.
The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.
“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.
Africa CDC has recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.
Africa CDC is committed to working closely with the Government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.
Source: allafrica.com
Tanzania Confirms Second Marburg Outbreak After WHO Chief Visit
Dar es Salaam — Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan has declared an outbreak of Marburg virus, confirming a single case in the northwestern region of Kagera after a meeting with WHO director-general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
The confirmation follows days of speculation about a possible outbreak in the region, after the WHO reported a number of deaths suspected to be linked to the highly infectious disease.
While Tanzania’s Ministry of Health declared last week that all suspected cases had tested negative for Marburg, the WHO called for additional testing at international reference laboratories.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”Amelia Clemence, public health researcher
Subsequent laboratory tests conducted at Kagera’s Kabaile Mobile Laboratory and confirmed in Dar es Salaam identified one positive case, while 25 other suspected cases tested negative, the president told a press conference in Dodoma, in the east of the country today (Monday).
“The epicentre has now shifted to Biharamulo district of Kagera,” she told the press conference, distinguishing this outbreak from the previous one centred in Bukoba district.
Tedros said the WHO would release US$3 million from its emergencies contingency fund to support efforts to contain the outbreak.
Health authorities stepped up surveillance and deployed emergency response teams after the WHO raised the alarm about nine suspected cases in the region, including eight deaths.
The suspected cases displayed symptoms consistent with Marburg infection, including headache, high fever, diarrhoea, and haemorrhagic complications, according to the WHO’s alert to member countries on 14 January. The organisation noted a case fatality rate of 89 per cent among the suspected cases.
“We appreciate the swift attention accorded by the WHO,” Hassan said.
She said her administration immediately investigated the WHO’s alert.
“The government took several measures, including the investigation of suspected individuals and the deployment of emergency response teams,” she added.
Cross-border transmission
The emergence of this case in a region that experienced Tanzania’s first-ever Marburg outbreak in March 2023 has raised concerns about cross-border transmission, particularly following Rwanda’s recent outbreak that infected 66 people and killed 15 before being declared over in December 2024.
The situation is particularly critical given Kagera’s position as a transport hub connecting four East African nations.
Amelia Clemence, a public health researcher working in the region, says constant vigilance is required.
“We never know when an outbreak might occur in a neighbouring nation. So we ensure infection prevention control assessments at every point of care as routine as a morning greeting at our workplaces.”
The Kagera region’s ecosystem, home to fruit bats that serve as natural reservoirs for the Marburg virus, adds another layer of complexity to disease surveillance efforts.
The virus, closely related to Ebola, spreads through contact with bodily fluids and can cause severe haemorrhagic fever.
Transparency urged
Elizabeth Sanga, shadow minister of health for Tanzania’s ACT Wazalendo opposition party, says greater transparency would help guide public health measures.
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“This could have helped to guide those who are traveling to the affected region to be more vigilant and prevent the risk of further spread,” she said.
WHO regional director for Africa Matshidiso Moeti says early notification of investigation outcomes is important.
“We stand ready to support the government in its efforts to investigate and ensure that measures are in place for an effective and rapid response,” she said, noting that existing national capacities built from previous health emergencies could be quickly mobilised.
The situation coincides with leadership changes in Tanzania’s Ministry of Health, with both the chief medical officer and permanent secretary being replaced.
This piece was produced by SciDev.Net’s Sub-Saharan Africa English desk.
Source: allafrica.com
