TANZANIA: AS President Samia Suluhu Hassan prepares to assume the Chairpersonship of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) Organ on Politics, Defence and Security Cooperation, analysts express strong confidence in her leadership.
They believe her commitment to democracy, good governance and her Reconciliation, Resilience, Reform and Rebuild (4Rs) philosophy will contribute in setting high standard in other member states.
President Samia is set to officially take over the role from Zambian President Hakainde Hichilema at the 44th SADC Summit.
The summit, themed “Promoting Innovation to Unlock Economic Growth and Sustainable Development Opportunities Towards a More Industrialised SADC” will take place tomorrow in Harare, Zimbabwe.
In an interview with the ‘Daily News’, a lecturer at the Dr Salim Ahmed Salim Centre for Foreign Relations (CFR), Mr Innocent Shoo praised President Samia’s proven track record in advancing democracy and good governance in Tanzania.
He believes her leadership will be an inspiration for other SADC member States and anticipates she will work towards enhancing peace and stability in the region, especially in conflict-prone areas like northern Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) in Kivu and Goma.
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He noted that President Samia’s leadership could serve as a model for other countries in the SADC and Great Lakes regions in promoting peace, security and stability, which are crucial for enhancing intra-regional trade.
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“Recently, regional blocs like SADC, COMESA, and EAC signed a tripartite agreement to collaborate on trade between African countries. If peace and stability are lacking, trade between these regions will be unsuccessful,” Mr Shoo explained.
He added: “President Samia will lead by example in showing what she is doing at home, enabling other nations to learn from Tanzania’s dedication to democracy, good governance, peace and security.”
Mr Shoo also highlighted the financial challenges faced by regional integration blocs, including SADC, in funding peacekeeping operations.
He emphasised the need for increased intelligence sharing and the deployment of peacekeeping forces to conflict zones.
An Assistant Lecturer at the same institution, Mr Dennis Konga noted the significance of President Samia’s leadership, particularly as a woman in a traditionally male-dominated role.
He believes her appointment will inspire other women in the region and advance gender equity, while underscoring the importance of peace and security for economic growth and trade within the SADC region.
Ambassador and retired Brigadier General Benard Mdolwa expressed confidence in President Samia’s ability to enhance Tanzania’s positive image within SADC, building on the legacy of former President Julius Nyerere.
He urged Tanzanians to support President Samia in her efforts to promote peace and security across the African continent.
Source: allafrica.com
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Tanzania: Exim to Raise Fund for Mental Health Facilities Upgrades
EXIM Bank to raise 300m/- over the next three years for financing essential services and infrastructure upgrades in mental health facilities.
The bank’s Head of Marketing and Communications Stanley Kafu unveiled this when introducing Exim Bima Festival 2024 as a platform for bringing together individuals, organisations and various sectors for raising the funds.
“Exim’s initiative aligns with the government’s broader goals to ensure that every citizen has access to quality healthcare, including mental health services,” he said.
The initiative, which is one of the events for celebrating the bank’s 27th anniversary is scheduled for Wednesday this week in Dar es Salaam.
Mr Kafu highlights that this year’s festival is not only about raising awareness of the importance of insurance in the society but also focuses on enhancing access to mental health services and improving the overall well-being of the nation.
Statistics from the Ministry of Health shows a staggering 82 per cent increase in mental health cases over the past decade.
Mental cases have risen from 386,358 in 2012 to 2,102,726 in 2021, making the need for mental health services more urgent than ever.
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Unfortunately, the country’s ability to address this growing challenge is hindered by a shortage of mental health professionals, infrastructure, medical equipment and essential medication.
For example, out of the 28 regions in the country, only five have facilities that provide adequate mental health services.
The most affected group is the youth aged 15 to 39, who represent the nation’s workforce, underscoring the need for intensified efforts to safeguard this generation for Tanzania’s future well-being and development.
Mr Kafu said by improving mental health services, Exim aims to contribute to the creation of a network of communities that can access care quickly and affordably.
Exim Insurance Department Manager Tike Mwakyoma said they are appreciating the support from partners in the insurance industry, who have stood by them since the last festival.
“Let’s continue this unity for the development of all Tanzanians and our nation as a whole,” the manager said.
Source: allafrica.com
Tanzania Declares End of Marburg Virus Disease Outbreak
Tanzania today declared the end of Marburg virus disease outbreak after recording no new cases over 42 days since the death of the last confirmed case on 28 January 2025.
The outbreak, in which two confirmed and eight probable cases were recorded (all deceased), was the second the country has experienced. Both this outbreak, which was declared on 20 January 2025, and the one in 2023 occurred in the north-eastern Kagera region.
In response to the latest outbreak, Tanzania’s health authorities set up coordination and response systems, with support from World Health Organization (WHO) and partners, at the national and regional levels and reinforced control measures to swiftly detect cases, enhance clinical care, infection prevention as well as strengthen collaboration with communities to raise awareness and help curb further spread of the virus.
Growing expertise in public health emergency response in the African region has been crucial in mounting effective outbreak control measures. Drawing on experience from the response to the 2023 Marburg virus disease outbreak, WHO worked closely with Tanzanian health authorities to rapidly scale up key measures such as disease surveillance and trained more than 1000 frontline health workers in contact tracing, clinical care and public health risk communication. The Organization also delivered over five tonnes of essential medical supplies and equipment.
“The dedication of frontline health workers and the efforts of the national authorities and our partners have paid off,” said Dr Charles Sagoe-Moses, WHO Representative in Tanzania. “While the outbreak has been declared over, we remain vigilant to respond swiftly if any cases are detected and are supporting ongoing efforts to provide psychosocial care to families affected by the outbreak.”
Building on the momentum during the acute phase of the outbreak response, measures have been put in place to reinforce the capacity of local health facilities to respond to potential future outbreaks. WHO and partners are procuring additional laboratory supplies and other equipment for disease detection and surveillance and other critical services.
Marburg virus disease is highly virulent and causes haemorrhagic fever. It belongs to the same family as the virus that causes Ebola virus disease. Illness caused by Marburg virus begins abruptly. Patients present with high fever, severe headache and severe malaise. They may develop severe haemorrhagic symptoms within seven days.
In the African region, previous outbreaks and sporadic cases have been reported in Angola, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Equatorial Guinea, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda.
Source: allafrica.com
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