CRDB Bank, IFC agree to cooperate in six areas
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania:
The CRDB Bank Plc and the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation (IFC) have agreed on six specific areas of cooperation in their joint effort to foster sustainable financial inclusion in Tanzania and beyond. This is the message that the two institutions’ top executives agreed upon when they met in Washington on the sidelines of the US-Africa summit.
During the meeting, CRDB Bank Group’s delegation was led by its Board chairman, Dr Ally Laay, vice chairperson, Prof Neema Mori and Group CEO, Mr Abdulmajid Nsekela while IFC was represented by its director and global head of financial institutions group, Mr Tomasz Telma.IFC has supported CRDB Bank Plc strategy since 2014. “IFC has played a key role in the success of CRDB Bank during the past eight years and in the successful implementation of our five-year strategy, which expires this year,” said Mr Nsekela in a statement. He said the meeting sought to bring top leaders of the two institutions together to deliberate on areas of collaboration and support.
“We therefore agreed to cooperate on issues pertaining to financing of undertakings for women and youth; huge infrastructure financing in Tanzania, Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and in supporting future cross-border business when CRDB Bank embarks on its expansion strategy to East and Southern Africa,” Mr Nsekela said.
The two institutions, he said, also agreed to cooperate on funding support on environmental projects, capacity building and in agribusiness.
In his remarks, Mr Telma detailed IFC’s experience in financing projects in Tanzania and noted that the country has great potential. Mr Telma said he was optimistic that the discussions would open new opportunities for further cooperation between the two institutions.
In his presentation during the meeting, Mr Nsekela detailed that CRDB Bank Plc – which has a balance sheet of Sh10.9 trillion and a capital of Sh1.4 trillion – boasts of an expanded alternative delivery channels and its investment in the right people to provide financial services to all customers and support the economic transformation.
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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
