Dar es Salaam. Tanzania is gearing up to significantly enhance its export footprint in the United Kingdom, targeting a staggering one billion sterling pounds in export value.
In a bid to achieve this ambitious goal, the country is set to host a pivotal stakeholders’ engagement meeting aimed at encouraging increased exports to the European nation.
In a statement released by Tanzania’s High Commissioner to the UK, Ambassador Mbelwa Kairuki, the crucial meeting is scheduled for March 28, 2024, and will be graced by the Industry and Trade minister, Dr Ashatu Kijaji.
Presently, the value of products and services sold from Tanzania to the UK stands at a modest 200 million pounds, highlighting a substantial potential for growth and expansion in bilateral trade relations.
According to Ambassador Kairuki, the meeting will serve as a platform for participants to comprehend the lucrative opportunities available for selling Tanzanian products in the UK market, particularly under the British Government’s Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS). This scheme offers preferential treatment, with 99 percent of Tanzanian products enjoying duty-free access to the UK market.
The coordination of this meeting falls under the purview of the Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS), which was inaugurated in Tanzania in May 2023. The scheme effectively reduces or eliminates tariffs on UK trade with 65 countries, including Tanzania, fostering greater accessibility and competitiveness for developing nations.
Expected attendees at the stakeholders’ meeting include government officials, private sector representatives, businessmen, crop boards, and transport institutes. Ambassador Kairuki expressed optimism that the conference would serve as a catalyst for a notable surge in Tanzanian exports to the UK.
To bolster these export endeavors, the Tanzanian Embassy has initiated various measures, including identifying demand for Tanzanian products in the UK market and addressing challenges hindering exports. Additionally, plans are underway to promote Tanzanian products through participation in product exhibitions held in the UK.
Furthermore, efforts are being made to facilitate Air Tanzania’s entry into the UK market, with plans for the airline to commence flights to the UK before the conclusion of 2024.
As Tanzania sets its sights on expanding its economic ties with the UK, the upcoming stakeholders’ meeting signals a proactive approach towards leveraging trade opportunities and fostering mutually beneficial partnerships between the two nations.
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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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