Zanzibar — ZANZIBAR has launched campaign to promote domestic use of seaweed products as part of efforts to expand the market of the spices in the country.
The Acting Director of the Department of Policy, Planning and Research in the Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries, Mr Mohammed Said Khamis, said at the launch of a campaign on Monday that domestic use of the spices was low.
“We want people at home to consume seaweed hence increase the market,” Mr Khamis said.
He said that promoting domestic use of seaweed products was important both in Zanzibar and Tanzania mainland in improving the livelihood of farmers.
The Ministry of Blue Economy and Fisheries was out to encourage the use of seaweed through promotion of its benefits as they are rich in nutrients compared to many sea foods, he said.
“For over three decades, Zanzibar and other coastal areas in the Tanzania mainland have been growing seaweed just for export. Unfortunately not many people use it as food. We want this to change, in addition to economic benefits, it is also good for health,” he said.
The Acting Director said that in order also to boost seaweed production and improve the welfare of farmers, the ministry has been making various efforts including providing them with the farming inputs such as boats, and new farming technology.
He said the government has decided to revitalize seaweed production in response to farmer’s prolonged call for better price and value addition to boost their earnings and revenue to the government.
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“The government is currently completing the construction of a seaweed processing factory at Chamanangwe, Pemba. This is a value addition. According to him, the factory will have the capacity of processing 30,000 tonnes per year.
The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), Coordinator, Ms Amina Ussi Khamis, said that the launch will help raise the value of the farmers’ sea products leading to income increase and value chain addition.
The Wakulima Hai Cooperative Society Secretary, Ms Semeni Mohammed Salum, said seaweed is one of the strategic crops and the government puts its effort into increasing productivity including the use of quality seeds that adapt to climate change. Ms Salum said that the one-year campaign to promote the use of seaweed will be implemented in five regions of Unguja and Pemba Islands, and also in other regions of Tanzania’s mainland.
Source: allafrica.com
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Africa: Rwanda Gets a Grip Of Marburg, But Mpox ‘Not Yet Under Control’
Monrovia — The Rwanda Minister of State responsible for Health, Dr. Yvan Butera, cautioned that while the country is beginning to see positive signals in its fight against the Marburg virus, the outbreak is “not yet over”. He, however, expressed hope that “we are headed in that direction”. The minister said the epidemiology trend, since the disease was first discovered in the country more than a month ago, is moving towards fewer cases.
Dr. Butera, who was giving updates during an online briefing yesterday, said in the past two weeks, only two deaths were recorded while 14 people recovered from the disease. He said Rwanda was expanding its testing capacity with 16,000 people already inoculated against the disease.
The priority right now, Butera said, is “rapid testing and detection”.
Marburg is a highly virulent disease transmitted through human-to-human contact or contact with an infected animal. The fatality rate of cases, which has varied over the period, is more than 50%, according to the World Health Organization. WHO said the highest number of new confirmed cases in Rwanda were reported in the first two weeks of the outbreak. There’s been a “sharp decline” in the last few weeks, with the country now tackling over 60 cases.
At Thursday’s briefing, a senior official of the Africa Centers for Disease Control, Dr. Ngashi Ngongo, said mpox – the other infectious disease outbreak that countries in the region are fighting – was been reported in 19 countries, with Mauritius being the latest country to confirm a case. He said although no new cases have been recorded in recent weeks in several countries where outbreaks occurred previously – including Cameroon, South Africa, Guinea, and Gabon – Uganda confirmed its first Mpox death. This, he said, is one of two fatalities reported outside Central Africa.
Dr. Ngashi revealed that there was an increase in cases in Liberia and Uganda. He said mpox cases were still on an upward trend.
“The situation is not yet under control.”
Source: allafrica.com
