MNH opens a well women clinic for cancer treatment

MUHIMBILI National Hospital (MNH) has inaugurated its State-of-the art clinic known as ‘well women clinic’ to be used for checking up cancer related diseases at the biggest referral hospital which have been affecting women’s health in the country. The inauguration ceremony takes place in line with today’s International Women Day (IWD) on Saturday last week whereby the MNH celebrated the occasion by recognizing various development stages in relation to women’s health. The establishment of a clinic which has the capacity of checking over 30 women a day is located at the X-ray building at the hospital’s premises. However, during the inauguration women who attended the occasion received free medical service as an offer. But this will change during normal working days from Monday to Saturday when the clinic will be open whereby after check up and once found to have been affected will be liable to pay Sh. 10,000 for check up and another Sh. 20,000 as contribution for treatment immediately. The MNH’s Director of Clinical Services Dr. Praxeda Ogweyo said. She also noted that, there will be fast track service which will be in every Saturday, in this service patients would be required to pay Sh. 140,000 inclusive with the amount of check up. She said, the MNH hospital has decided to open up such a clinic in order to reduce the increased high rates of disease infections and deaths which occur due to cancer on women’s reproductive systems. The International women day is celebrated under the theme which says that, “Stimulate changes in order to bring gender equality”, she said adding that, the message educate and put awareness to the community, the government, civil societies and religious institutions to recognize the importance of women day to bring gender equality. Dr. Praxeda noted that, there will be five services to be offered by the clinic centre which includes the diagnosis on cervical cancer, beast cervix cancer, cardiac and pancreatic related diseases and education about menopause for women including signs and how to overcome the situation. Others she noted are the education for women youths in relation to their various reproductive systems and how to get prepared to receive pregnancies and many others.   

A specialist at Well Women Clinic which has just been inaugurated at Muhimbili National Hospital (MNH) explaining something to a visiting woman at the clinic center a moment after its inauguration.

She said the NMH’s management has decided to establish a clinic for check up to help women as most of them do not know their health status if are affected by cancer related diseases or not. She said most patients suffering from cancer related diseases becomes aware of such infections once such diseases have become so chronic and no longer avoidable, a result of which most of them dies earlier while receiving treatment. She said stigmatization as related to such diseases among the infected patients has become a big problem in the country an aspect that causes the delays for such patients to be taken to hospital for treatment. However, she said adding that is another reason why the MNH has decided to combat with the spread and control of the disease. In order to prevent such deaths from occurring, Dr. Praxeda noted that, “this is the reason why the MNH has opened up a clinic for regular check up on these diseases” Quoting the national medical statistics on the mortality rates caused as a result of the disease, she said that out of 100,000 affected women in the country, about 40,000 dies annually. Various world statistics shows that, about 11 million women who are at the age of reproduction are at risk of infection from cancer related diseases. This is a warning sign for women which the government has to take drastic measures to save their lives, she said. Dr. Praxeda further expounded the medical statistics at East Africa region and noted that, out of 100,000 women living in East Africa region about 30,000 of them have been infected by the cancer related diseases. She also note that, in most developing countries in the world, cancer related diseases are discovered to be harmful to infected patients at the last stage when such diseases are chronic, citing the main reasons are due to insufficient centers for check up and lack of education on  the disease by people.

Dr. Shein touts for two tier government structure

THE Zanzibar President Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein has said that, the union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar which has existed for 50 years, is the last benchmark in Africa.Dr. Shein who is also the Chairman of the Revolutionary government of Zanzibar said this during the inauguration ceremony to commemorate the 50^th anniversary of the union government which was on Saturday last week at Salama Bwawani in Zanzibar. The celebrations to be marked on 26^th April this year ( two months ahead from now), carries the message titled, “Our Tanzanian ship is our union, let us defend, consolidate and make it firm”. In his speech, Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein noted that, Africa union was not successful because some of the African leaders had no clear vision with full commitment which would pave their way into building a unified continent just like what the late Mwalimu Julius Nyerere and Abeid Aman Karume had. “This union is a proud of Africa that is a clear example which must be emulated by other countries in Africa in their struggle to bring a true African unity” he said. However, he added that, if Africa could have strong leaders committed with strong leadership such as the late Mwalimu Nyerere and Abeid Aman Karume, now they could be planning of the African federation for the next 60 years. But for a one step forward development, East African countries have started the process of establishing a complete political federation for the East African regional states, he said. He mentioned some other African countries like Gambia, Egypt, Senegal and Libya which at a different time tried to unite themselves and at long last their union didn’t succeed to last longer. 

Zanzibar President Dr. Ali Mohammed Shein

He also noted that, there are some countries in the world which tried to unite with a view to build a common interest for the benefits of their people, but their efforts ended up in vain. He further clarified to his audience that, the long lasting union between Tanganyika and Zanzibar has been existing due to the fact that, it is a union of the people of the same race who have same traditional beliefs, politically and culturally speaks the same language. He said that, the tradition of staying together, doing things together and share the emerging challenges and finds ways to curb them on the basis of solidarity while insisting peace among ourselves, has actually increased moral efficiency. He mentioned big two challenges which have not been found a solution up to now, is how to contribute effectively on union matters and also the issue of oil and gas. However, Dr. Shein is optimistic that in future the solution to such challenges would be attained, he mentioned the implementation of the Zanzibar laws on human rights, the ability to facilitate internal and foreign loans as well as loan exemptions from financial institutions such as the IMF. Others are the implementation of the commercial marine Act in the United Republic and the ability of Zanzibar government to join the International Maritime Organization (IMO). He reminded his audience that, the union government has made two sides of the governments to build a closer cooperation than as it was before. “Everybody is free to live in either sides of the union government without harassments with the concepts of building their two nations and conduct an economic life for the nation building. In the whole issue of consolidating the union, Dr. Shein affirmed that, there were some changes made in the current constitution of the United Republic of Tanzania at different time and now the country is in the process of constitutional review process for which he is sure members of the Constituent Assembly would work it more effectively for the development of two nations.

Tanzania opens economic cooperation in energy sector with Algeria

Tanzania government yesterday agreed with the government of the people’s democratic Republic of Algeria to facilitate three main economic development projects for the energy sector which the two countries signed in their Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) early December 2013.   Among the major development projects is the establishment of the Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) processing plant for home cooking which the Algerian government has agreed to invest in the country, the Minister for Energy and Minerals Professor Sospeter Muhongo has said. Prof. Muhongo was briefing journalists on Friday last week in Dar es Salaam the outcome of the two day meeting whose aim was to give go ahead of the projects which he signed during his first meeting with the Algerian officials when he visited their country in early December 2013. During the meeting, the two ministers had agreed to promote the energy and mineral sectors in the country whereby the Algerian government would give technical assistance to restructure electricity, minerals, gas and oil sectors in the country. The yesterday’s Dar meeting was attended by Algerian Minister for Energy and Mining Mr. Youcef Yousf and his delegation team who are in the country on the invitation of Professor Muhongo. He said the establishment of the LPG plant in the country which is to take effect after six months from now, will help minimize unnecessary usage of trees for firewood and charcoal to approximately between 40 and 45 percent respectively in the country. Drawing the experience of the project from Algerians, Prof. Muhongo noted that, they have managed to supply LPG for cooking to about 15 million people in their country which has a total population of 38 million people. The second project the Professor noted is that of a joint venture with Tanzania Electric Supply Company (TANESCO) for the rural supply of electricity in the country. He elaborated that, TANESCO will form a joint venture company to work in collaboration with the Algerian technical experts specializing in rural energy sector to help Rural Energy Agency (REA) in facilitating their projects which has entered into the second phase since February this year. The third project Professor Muhongo noted is that of the manufacturing of the Phosphates in the country whose research activities is going on in the country and will take effect in July this year. 

The Minister for Energy and Minerals Professor Sospeter Muhongo 

 “These are the main economic development projects which my ministry will take as they are more helpful to cater for the need of human modern life of the today’s century” he said adding that Tanzanians should expect big changes on energy sector. However, he noted that, the government will continue to negotiate with the Algerian government on other development possibilities such as on how to revamp the sector and will deliberate on other projects soon. He mentioned projects associated with oil and gas exploration in the country would come after as these are more comprehensive for the development of the national economy at large. These he said would be put in discussion on his another visit to Algeria scheduled on 30^th June a day when the two governments will meet to sign another MoU for the implementation of the intended projects in place. On his part, the Algerian Minister thanked the government of Tanzania for the cooperation they have shown for the development of the extractive industry and how it is going on in the country. He noted that, his country has committee to have interest for the energy sector  due to its richness in minerals and other underground resources which he said if are invested properly will uplift the life of  Tanzanians. He reiterated the need for his government’s continued education assistance to provide scholarships to young Tanzanians who are going for studies in higher learning institutions. LPG is the most common cooking fuel in many countries for economic reasons, for convenience or because it is the preferred fuel source. Predominantly in Europe and rural parts of many countries, LPG can provide an alternative to electricity and heating oil (kerosene). LPG is most often used where there is no access to piped natural gas. LPG is produced during the oil refining process or is extracted during the natural gas production process. Because of its high calorific value, LPG is ideally suited for use in industrial, commercial, agricultural, horticultural and manufacturing applications. It can also be used for heating, lighting, cooking, powering vehicles and cogeneration. For homes and businesses that are not connected to the natural gas underground mains network, LPG is a cost effective alternative energy source because it is easy to transport and store. Oryx Energies is a market leader in Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) in Tanzania, distributing almost 30,000 MT per year, continues to invest in the expansion of its network. The company store, bottle and distribute LPG from gas terminal and filling plant in Dar es Salaam and actively promote LPG as an alternative to fossil fuel usage (in particular firewood and charcoal).

EU assures Tanzanians of safety along Indian Ocean

European Union (EU) has assured Tanzanians of safety along the Indian Ocean waters off the coast where EU naval force (EU NAVFOR) continues its operational activities to fight against piracy in the area, the EU Head of delegation in the country Ambassador Filiberto Sebregondi has said. The operation dubbed ‘Operation Atalanta is the EU’s counter-piracy operation off the coast of Somalia that aims to curb armed robbery of taking control of marine vessels transiting the high risk areas whereby pirates extort ransom money from the crew at sea. Ambassador Filiberto was briefing journalists in Dar es Salaam on Monday last week during an event that demonstrated a practical training session that involved Tanzania Maritime Police (TMP) and Tanzania People’s Defense Forces (TPDF) navy soldiers on how to curb piracy. The practical trainings were held on board the EU Naval Force flagship known as ‘Siroco’ which had anchored at Dar es Salaam port and were carried out by experienced trainers and dealt with typical piracy related situations. Ambassador Filiberto also briefed journalists on various successful operational missions over the fight against piracy along the coast of Indian Ocean where the EU is mandated to work since August 2013. He said the team of military experts is already carrying out activities in mostly notorious and troubled regions commonly known in the world for piracy attack such as in the gulf of Somalia and Djibouti since December 2013 through a liaison officer based in the country. He said since the operation started, there have been several successful attacks and about 250 pirates have been apprehended waiting for trial in international court of justice. However, he noted that, the pirates would be prosecuted in countries which according to EU policy do not have laws that warrant death penalties of such suspects. He further noted that, the EU resolves to do that on the humanitarian grounds. Such trainings are vital for marine awareness and are regularly carried out in order to strengthen marine security during port visits of EU-naval force ships and are often embedded into trainings held by EUCAP Nestor liaison office in Dar es Salaam, he said. Ambassador Filiberto pointed out that while bearing all aspects of organized crime, piracy was a complex issue that could only be contained by combining political and diplomatic efforts with military and legal action, development assistance ands strong international coordination. On his part, the EUCAP Nestor Tanzania liaison officer, Eisso Kronenberg said that, the investigations of serious marine crime starts from the arrest and detention of suspects, and finally prosecution. According to him, the trainings aims at sharing knowledge and experiences in fight against piracy in the Horn of Africa and Western Indian Ocean region whereby it has been sensed to be having  a growing threat to security on international shipping since 2000s.. 

EU Head of delegation in Tanzania Ambassador Filiberto Sebregondi (Left) talking with journalists (not in the picture) in Dar es Salaam.

 These trainings involve inspecting suspicious skiffs, detaining suspected pirates and collecting evidence for their possible prosecution. In recent years, there has been a series of pirates attack on Indian Ocean waters by Somali citizens believed to be Islamist insurgents who tend to hijack ships navigating along the confluence of Indian ocean water and the perpetrators have been demanding lots of money from the owners of the shipping companies for their survival.  Piracy off the coast of Somalia has been a threat to international shipping since the second phase of the Somali Civil War in the early 21st century. Since 2005, many international organizations, including the International Maritime Organization and the World Food Program, have expressed concern over the rise in acts of piracy. Piracy has impeded the delivery of shipments and increased shipping expenses, costing an estimated $6.6 to $6.9 billion a year in global trade according to statistics report by Oceans beyond Piracy (OBP). According to the German Institute for Economic Research (DIW), a veritable industry of profiteers has also risen around the piracy. Insurance companies, in particular, have profited from the pirate attacks, as insurance premiums have increased significantly.  A United Nations report and several news sources have suggested that piracy off the coast of Somalia was caused in part by illegal fishing.  According to the DIW and the U.S. House Armed Services Committee, the dumping of toxic waste in Somali waters by foreign vessels also severely constrained the ability of local fishermen to earn a living.  In response, the fishermen began forming armed groups to stop the foreign ships. They eventually turned to hijacking commercial vessels for ransom as an alternate source of income. In 2009, a survey by Wardheer News found that approximately 70 percent of the local coastal communities at the time "strongly supported the piracy as a form of national defense of the country's territorial waters.  The pirates also believed that they were protecting their fishing grounds and exacting justice and compensation for the marine resources stolen. By the end of 2011, pirates managed to seize only four ships off of the coast of Somalia, 22 fewer than the 26 they had captured in each of the two previous years. They also attempted unsuccessful attacks on 52 other vessels, as of 18 October 2013, the pirates were holding 1 large ship and an estimated 50 hostages.  According to another source, there were 151 attacks on ships in 2011, compared with 127 in 2010 – but only 25 successful hijacks compared to 47 in 2010. Pirates held 10 vessels and 159 hostages in February 2012.  In 2011, pirates earned $146m, an average of $4.87m per ship. An estimated 3,000 to 5,000 pirates operated, by February 2012 1,000 had been captured and were legally prosecuted in 21 countries.