Mwanza. Wakati ugonjwa wa kichaa cha mbwa ukitajwa kusababisha vifo vya zaidi ya watu 59,000 duniani kila mwaka, Serikali ya Tanzania na Marekani zimeamua kuungana ili kupambana nao ikiwemo kuelimisha umma juu ya ugonjwa huo.
Hatua hiyo inakuja ikiwa kichaa cha mbwa bado ni tishio kubwa la afya ya umma nchini Tanzania hasa katika jamii zenye uelewa mdogo na upatikanaji hafifu wa huduma za mifugo.
Shirika la Marekani la Maendeleo ya Kimataifa (USAID), kupitia Mradi wa Breakthrough Action kwa kushirikiana Ofisi ya Waziri Mkuu sehemu ya Afya Moja, Wizara ya Mifugo na Uvuvi, Wizara ya Afya, na Ofisi ya Rais (Tamisemi), wametumia fursa ya maadhimisho ya Siku ya Kichaa cha Mbwa kama sehemu ya juhudi za kimataifa za kupambana na ugonjwa huo.
Kupitia kampeni ya kitaifa ya “Holela-Holela Itakukosti,” yenye lengo la kuiwezesha jamii kupambana na ugonjwa huo, Usaid na Serikali ya Tanzania inawakumbusha wananchi kuwajibika na kuondoa vikwazo ili kushinda vita dhidi ya hatari ya ugonjwa huo.
Awali, wakati wa maadhimisho ya Siku ya Kichaa cha Mbwa, ambayo hufanyika kila mwaka Septemba, 28 kampeni ya “Holela-Holela Itakukosti,” ambayo tafsiri yake ni uzembe ni gharama, ilichukua nafasi kubwa katika kuongeza uelewa kuhusu kichaa cha mbwa, ugonjwa unaosababisha vifo vya zaidi ya watu 59,000 duniani kila mwaka.
Tukio hilo la kitaifa liliongozwa na Abdul Mhinte, Naibu Katibu Mkuu Wizara ya Mifugo na Uvuvi, ambaye amesisitiza umuhimu wa elimu kwa jamii na mikakati ya chanjo katika kupambana na ugonjwa.
Aidha amehimiza kuimarishwa kwa ushirikiano kati ya maofisa wa afya ya umma na jamii za mitaa ili kuimarisha mwitikio wa pamoja.
“Kichaa cha mbwa kinaweza kuzuilika. Lengo letu ni kuhakikisha kila mbwa nchini Tanzania anapatiwa chanjo, na kila mwananchi anajua cha kufanya endapo atang’atwa na mbwa. Kila jamii inapaswa kuchukua jukumu lake katika vita hivi.”
Msisitizo wake juu ya elimu na ushirikiano ulipeleka ujumbe wa matumaini kwa waliohudhuria. Kampeni hiyo inalenga jamii kwa kutoa ujumbe muhimu kuhusu kichaa cha mbwa, kuwachanja na kutafuta huduma za afya mara baada ya tukio la kung’atwa na mbwa.
Watoto, ambao ni miongoni mwa walio hatarini zaidi kuathiriwa na kichaa cha mbwa, wanapewa elimu juu ya kuepuka mwingiliano kama kuwachokoza mbwa hasa wasiowafahamu na wanyama wenye uwezekano wa kuwa na maambukizi.
Shuhuda kadhaa zinaonensha umuhimu wa kampeni hii. Revina, mama wa watoto watatu kutoka Mwanza:”Kabla ya kampeni, sikuwa najua hatari ya kichaa cha mbwa. Tulipojifunza kuwa mbwa wetu wanapaswa kuchanjwa, tulichukua hatua mara moja. Sasa, nina amani kuwaacha watoto wangu kucheza nje.”
Kampeni ya Holela-Holela pia inalenga kupambana na sababu zote zinazochangia kuwepo kwa ugonjwa wa kichaa cha mbwa kama vile uelewa mdogo, juhudi hafifu za chanjo, na usimamizi usio salama wa wanyama.
Source: mwananchi.co.tz
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Air Tanzania Banned From EU Airspace Due to Safety Concerns
Several airports have since locked Air Tanzania, dealing a severe blow to the Tanzanian national carrier that must now work overtime to regain its certification or go the wet lease way
The European Commission has announced the inclusion of Air Tanzania on the EU Air Safety List, effectively banning the airline from operating in European airspace.
The decision, made public on December 16, 2024, is based on safety concerns identified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which also led to the denial of Air Tanzania’s application for a Third Country Operator (TCO) authorisation.
The Commission did not go into the specifics of the safety infringement but industry experts suggest it is possible that the airline could have flown its Airbus A220 well past its scheduled major checks, thus violating the airworthiness directives.
“The decision to include Air Tanzania in the EU Air Safety List underscores our unwavering commitment to ensuring the highest safety standards for passengers in Europe and worldwide,” said Apostolos Tzitzikostas, EU Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism.
“We strongly urge Air Tanzania to take swift and decisive action to address these safety issues. I have offered the Commission’s assistance to the Tanzanian authorities in enhancing Air Tanzania’s safety performance and achieving full compliance with international aviation standards.”
Air Tanzania has a mixed fleet of modern aircraft types including Boeing 787s, 737 Max jets, and Airbus A220s.
It has been flying the B787 Dreamliner to European destinations like Frankfurt in Germany and Athens in Greece and was looking to add London to its growing list with the A220.
But the ban not only scuppers the London dream but also has seen immediate ripple effect, with several airports – including regional like Kigali and continental – locking out Air Tanzania.
Tanzania operates KLM alongside the national carrier.
The European Commission said Air Tanzania may be permitted to exercise traffic rights by using wet-leased aircraft of an air carrier which is not subject to an operating ban, provided that the relevant safety standards are complied with.
A wet lease is where an airline pays to use an aircraft with a crew, fuel, and insurance all provided by the leasing company at a fee.
Two more to the list
The EU Air Safety List, maintained to ensure passenger safety, is updated periodically based on recommendations from the EU Air Safety Committee.
The latest revision, which followed a meeting of aviation safety experts in Brussels from November 19 to 21, 2024, now includes 129 airlines.
Of these, 100 are certified in 15 states where aviation oversight is deemed insufficient, and 29 are individual airlines with significant safety deficiencies.
Alongside Air Tanzania, other banned carriers include Air Zimbabwe (Zimbabwe), Avior Airlines (Venezuela), and Iran Aseman Airlines (Iran).
Commenting on the broader implications of the list, Tzitzikostas stated, “Our priority remains the safety of every traveler who relies on air transport. We urge all affected airlines to take these bans seriously and work collaboratively with international bodies to resolve the identified issues.”
In a positive development, Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has been cleared to resume operations in the EU following a four-year suspension. The ban, which began in 2020, was lifted after substantial improvements in safety performance and oversight by PIA and the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority (PCAA).
“Since the TCO Authorisation was suspended, PIA and PCAA have made remarkable progress in enhancing safety standards,” noted Tzitzikostas. “This demonstrates that safety issues can be resolved through determination and cooperation.”
Another Pakistani airline, Airblue Limited, has also received EASA’s TCO authorisation.
Decisions to include or exclude airlines from the EU Air Safety List are based on rigorous evaluations of international safety standards, particularly those established by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
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The process involves thorough review and consultation among EU Member State aviation safety experts, with oversight from the European Commission and support from EASA.
“Where an airline currently on the list believes it complies with the required safety standards, it can request a reassessment,” explained Tzitzikostas. “Our goal is not to penalize but to ensure safety compliance globally.”
Airlines listed on the EU Air Safety List face significant challenges to their international operations, as the bans highlight shortcomings in safety oversight by their home regulatory authorities.
For Air Tanzania, this inclusion signals an urgent need for reform within Tanzania’s aviation sector to address these deficiencies and align with global standards.
The path forward will require immediate and sustained efforts to rectify safety concerns and regain access to one of the world’s most critical aviation markets.
Source: allafrica.com
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