Dar es Salaam. State Mining Corporation (Stamico) has teamed up with the Confederation of Tanzania Industries (CTI) to address the challenge of underutilisation of locally sourced raw materials in the country’s industrial production.
Therefore, the partnership has organised a two-day meeting gathering over 700 stakeholders including smallholder miners, local industries and financial institutions.
Addressing a press conference yesterday, Stamico managing director, Dr Venance Mwasse said the meeting is slated to take place at the Julius Nyerere International Conference Centre (JNICC) and will be officiated by the minister of Minerals, Dr Dotto Biteko.
Mr Mwasse said their expectation is that the collaboration will provide answers to several challenges leading to failure use of domestic sourced raw materials especially from the mining sector.
“The meeting is expected to establish what small-scale miners are missing, what is the CTI demand and financial institutions’ failure to lend the subsector,” he said.
“Hopefully, the challenges are expected to be resolved by the end of the meeting. Regulatory institutions such as the Tanzania Revenue Authority (TRA), the National Environmental Management Council (Nemc); the Mineral Commission and the Geological Survey of Tanzania (GST) will also be part of the meeting,” he said.
CTI executive director Leodegar Tenga said not all mineral related raw materials from local sources are used in the industries, adding that the meeting is expected to encourage utilization of local resources instead of importation from outside the country.
“This is important because it will enhance the performance of local industries and increase competitiveness in the country. But, the most important thing is that the move is significant to the country’s economy,” he said.
“The linkage will ensure that we have the market of locally manufactured products, enhance the value chain and definitely in the long term the benefits are immense,” he added.
The challenges with domestically sourced raw materials are caused by the lack of experience and modern technology by local providers, noting that a huge technology is required to refine the raw materials to acquire the much needed quality for utilization in the industries.
He added that at the same time industries would want to buy inputs that would enhance the quality of the final product, noting that for that matter most of the time local industries prefer to import local materials because they would not want to temper or compromise with the quality of the products.
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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
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