Tanzania’s Seaweed Farmers Bring the Ocean’s Bounty to the World

Tanzania’s Seaweed Farmers Bring the Ocean’s Bounty to the World

As the sun rises over Pemba island in Tanzania, Shajia and other seaweed farmers head towards the water to harvest their seaweed at low tide.

When Shajia first started farming seaweed in 1995, she did it largely along the shore. In the decades since, conditions have changed.

“Due to the high temperatures caused by climate change, the seaweed was not doing well on the shores,” she explains. “We were forced to go deeper into the ocean.”

The IFAD-supported LDFS project is helping Shajia adapt to the new normal. As well as receiving equipment, she’s learned how to grow seaweed along ropes. This ensures a plentiful harvest that is easier to gather and is protected from the tides.

Processing the precious produce

At midday, the boats return to shore, laden with their glistening produce. The seaweed is then sorted and spread out on drying racks at the local collection centre.

The dried seaweed is then exported for use in medicines and processing into carrageenan, a gelling substance that is used in everything from shampoo to soy milk. With government plans to establish a processing plant on Pemba, farmers will soon be able to move up the value chain and get higher profits for their produce.

Beauty business

Twenty-six-year-old Saumu has been farming seaweed on her underwater plot for two years. After receiving training and equipment through LDFS, she increased her yield to 290 kilos. She uses her earnings to pay for her children’s education and to purchase iron sheeting to build a new home.

Saumu is also part of a collective of young women who produce a rich seaweed skincare oil. While they currently use imported powdered seaweed, they plan to purchase equipment to process Pemba-grown seaweed into powder themselves.

Saumu is a role model for other young women. “We need to take advantage of the opportunities in front of us, like the seaweed farming, which can benefit us and our families.”

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For centuries, the islands off the east African coast have been part of a vast oceanic network spanning the Indian Ocean, with sailors following the trade winds all the way to southeast Asia. Today, rural people in the region are sustainably harvesting the ocean’s bounty before it sets out across the world.

Source: allafrica.com

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Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response
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Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response

Tanzania Declares Marburg Outbreak – Africa CDC Mobilizes Immediate Response

Addis Ababa, January 20, 2025</Strong> — Tanzania has declared a Marburg virus disease (MVD) outbreak after confirming one case and identifying 25 suspected cases in the Kagera Region of Northwestern Tanzania. The Marburg virus, a highly infectious and often fatal disease, is similar to Ebola and is transmitted to humans from fruit bats and monkeys. This outbreak marks the nation’s second encounter with the deadly virus, following the outbreak in Bukoba District of Kagera Region in March 2023, which resulted in nine cases and six deaths.

In response to this urgent threat, the Africa CDC is mobilizing strong support to help Tanzania contain the outbreak. A team of twelve public health experts will be deployed as part of an advance mission in the next 24 hours. The multidisciplinary team includes epidemiologists, risk communication, infection prevention and control (IPC), and laboratory experts to provide on-ground support for surveillance, IPC, diagnostics, and community engagement.

The Director-General of Africa CDC, Dr. Jean Kaseya, has engaged with Tanzania’s President Samia Suluhu Hassan and the Minister of Health to ensure coordinated efforts and secure political commitment for the response.

“Africa CDC stands firmly with Tanzania in this critical moment. To support the government’s efforts, we are committing US$ 2 million to bolster immediate response measures, including deploying public health experts, strengthening diagnostics, and enhancing case management. Building on Tanzania’s commendable response during the 2023 outbreak, we are confident that swift and decisive action, combined with our support and those of other partners, will bring this outbreak under control,” Dr. Kaseya stated.

Africa CDC has recently supported efforts to enhance the diagnostic and sequencing capacity of public health laboratories in Tanzania. PCR Test kits and genomic sequencing reagents have been dispatched, with additional supplies in the pipeline. To ensure rapid identification and confirmation of cases, the institution will also provide technical assistance to strengthen detection and genome sequencing for better characterization of the pathogen. Additionally, support will be provided to improve case management protocols and enhance the capacity to deliver safe and effective treatment.

Africa CDC is committed to working closely with the Government of Tanzania, regional partners, international organizations, and global stakeholders, including the World Health Organization, to stop the spread of the Marburg virus.

Source: allafrica.com

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