Friday, October 16, 2015

Govt rolls out birth registration by mobile phone

Tanzania has launched a nationwide drive to help parents register their children's births by mobile phone so the government can better plan health, education and other public services.

The new system being rolled out across the country over the next five years allows a health worker to send the baby's name, sex, date of birth and family details by phone to a central data base and a birth certificate is issued free of charge in days.

The initiative is run by the government registration agency RITA, UNICEF and telecommunications company Tigo.

RITA's acting head Emmy Hudson said the project had accelerated birth registration after years of stagnation.

The country has one of the lowest rates of birth registration in eastern and southern Africa. Some 80 percent of Tanzanians - and more than nine in 10 under-fives - do not have birth certificates, according to the 2012 census.

Parents have to pay 3,500 Tanzanian shillings ($1.6) if they request a birth certificate within 90 days of a child's birth, or 4,000 shillings afterwards, as well as travel costs - a high price in a country where many rural people live on less than $1 a day.

The government expects to register about a million children under the age of five before the end of this year, and 90 per cent of all newborns within the next five years.

Anna Mbelwa, who gave birth to a baby boy at Mbalizi Hospital in the southern Mbeya Region this month, said the initiative made a big difference.
"I was very impressed because it usually takes a long time to get a birth certificate," Mbelwa told Reuters news agency.

"It was very inconvenient before since parents had to travel a long distance to the district registrar only to be told their children's files were missing." Mbelwa added.

Most parents in rural areas of Tanzania do not register their children because of the steep cost, long distances to registry offices, cumbersome process and lack of awareness of the benefits.

Globally, around 290 million children do not possess a birth certificate, according to UNICEF.

RITA was officially launched on the 23rd June 2006 and replaces what was known as the Administrator Generals Department in the Attorney Generals Chambers, Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

It is an Executive Agency under the Attorney Generals Chambers in the Ministry of Justice and Constitutional Affairs.

The history of RITA dates back in 1917 when the German Colonial power enacted a law for registration of births and deaths (Proclamation No.15 of 1917 (Civil Area).

When the British took over the administration of Tanganyika (Tanzania Mainland) from the Germans retained the Register of births and deaths established under the Germans law by saving it under the Births and Deaths Registration Ordinance, 1920 (Cap.108).

It should be noted that under both colonial powers registration of births and deaths was not compulsory for Africans.
 

Saturday, October 3, 2015

WHO backs 'treat-all' HIV drug plan

Everyone who has HIV should be offered antiretroviral drugs as soon as possible after diagnosis, the World Health Organisation says.
This latest policy removes previous limits suggesting patients wait until the disease progresses.
The WHO has also recommended people at risk of HIV be given the drugs to help prevent the infection taking hold.
UNAIDS said these changes could help avert 21 million AIDS-related deaths and 28 million new infections by 2030.
The recommendations increase the number of people with HIV eligible for antiretrovirals from 28m to 37m across the world.
But the challenge globally will be making sure everyone has access to them and the funds are in place to pay for such a huge extension in treatment. Only 15m people currently get the drugs.

What are antiretrovirals?

Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is a combination of medicines used to treat HIV. It is not a cure, but can control the virus so that patients can live a longer, healthier life and reduce the risk of transmitting HIV to others.
The drugs prevent HIV from multiplying, which reduces the amount of the virus in the body.
Having less HIV in the body gives the immune system a chance to recover and fight off infections and cancers.
By reducing the amount of HIV, the medicines also reduce the risk of transmitting the virus to others.
Mark Dybul, executive director of the Global Fund, a private-public initiative which is one of the biggest funders of HIV research and treatment, said: "The recommendations are critically important to moving us towards the fast-track treatment and prevention goals.
"We must embrace the ambition if we are going to end HIV as a public health threat."
Michel Sidibe, of UNAIDS, added: "Everybody living with HIV has the right to life-saving treatment. The new guidelines are a very important steps towards ensuring that all people living with HIV have immediate access to antiretroviral treatment."
The WHO announcement comes after extensive research into the issue.
Source: BBC News

Thursday, October 1, 2015

The Global Goals, Journey towards Sustainable Livelihoods









Across the globe, world leaders are getting ready to adopt the new Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which are essentially an agreed vision to put people and planet on a sustainable path by 2030. This will form the bedrock of a new development agenda that can set the world on a course of action to end poverty, transform lives and protect the planet.
In the United Republic of Tanzania we’re looking forward to the launch of the second phase of the United Nations Development Assistance Plan (UNDAP) and these new Global Goals will help us achieve that. The Goals spell out how we work together to promote dignity, equality, justice, shared prosperity and well-being for all, while protecting the environment. We are the first generation that can end poverty and the last one that can avoid the worst effects of climate change.
I’ve learned from my work with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) that setting goals and targets work. For example, UNDP Tanzania is in the process of designing its Country Programme Document (CPD - 2016-2021) i.e. a development assistance strategy in line with government’s priorities and UNDP’s mandate, also the Government of Tanzania is formulating phase two (2) of the Five Year Development Plan (2016/17 -2021/22). We are delighted that both processes have come at an opportune time in line with the adoption of the Global Goals. We look forward to continuing our work in the years to come.
Millions of people’s lives have improved due to concerted efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), which serve as the foundation for the next global development agenda. MDGs targets have already been met on reducing poverty, increasing access to improved drinking water sources, improving the lives of slum dwellers and achieving gender parity in primary school. Tanzania is on track to meet three of the seven MDGs: reducing infant and under-five mortality, combating HIV/AIDS and malaria and addressing gender equality. With more effort on the MDGs which are off-track in particular poverty, Tanzania can eliminate extreme poverty by 2030.   
Over the past 20 years, the likelihood of a child dying before age five has been nearly cut in half. Globally, the maternal mortality ratio dropped by nearly half. More people than ever before are receiving antiretroviral therapy for HIV-infection. More than six million deaths from malaria were averted due to substantial expansion of malaria interventions. Enormous progress has been made, showing the value of a unifying agenda underpinned by goals and targets. Yet despite this progress, the indignity of poverty has not been ended for all.
That’s why these 17 new Goals will continue this journey towards progress for everyone that aims to go even farther to focus the world on ending poverty, hunger and major health problems, as well as break new ground by setting goals and targets on inequalities, economic growth, decent jobs, energy, climate change, and peace and justice, among others.
I believe we will achieve substantial results by taking on the many interconnected challenges we face together. Taking action to achieve the Global Goals and building greater shared prosperity is in everybody’s best interest and provides enormous investment opportunities that will benefit all people and the planet. Success in this new ambitious agenda for global action will be driven by leaders, governments and people, especially at the local levels. The Goals should matter to all of us, and we all have a shared responsibility for our future.
Let’s focus on our shared problems and work on overcoming the common problems all countries face. With new, interconnected Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) that apply to all, we can go much further to end all forms of poverty, ensure no one is left behind, tackle unsustainable practices and chart a dignified future for all people in all countries.
UNDP stands ready to support the Government of Tanzania as it develops its plans for making the SDGs a reality. We will work closely with the government, private sector, civil society and many other partners in Tanzania to strive to achieve lasting results for people and planet.
Statement by Mr. Alvaro Rodriguez, United Nations Resident Coordinator, UNDP Resident Representative.

Saturday, September 26, 2015

Govt earmarks 3bn/- seed money for Aids trust fund

The government has set aside a total of Sh3bn for the establishment of an AIDS Trust Fund (ATF) as earlier proposed by Parliament aimed at reducing dependency on donor aid.
 The fund basically aims at increasing country‘s domestic resource allocation to the national HIV and AIDS response.   The decision to establish the fund was proposed in the last parliament where MPs underscored the importance for the country to build its capacity to serve its HIV patients instead of depending solely on donor aid.  In an interview with The Guardian yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania Commission for AIDS (TACAIDS) Director for Finance and Administration, Yassin Abbas, said the process for establishment of the fund had started under the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare in collaboration with TACAIDS. “When the fund will be in operation, 50 per cent of the funds will be allocated to medication,” Abbas noted.   “We are now at the stage of forming a board of trustees which will be composed of eight members, four from the government and the other four from the private sector, along with coming up with guidelines which will oversee the operation of the fund,” he said.  
According to him, it was no longer certain to obtain funds from donors for HIV/AIDS prevalence because its prevalance in the country had decreased to a large extent and hence it was no longer a priority for their funding.    “Therefore, we can no longer depend on their support as it was not guaranteed,” said the director. “The government is not ready to see its citizens suffer from HIV/AIDS due to lack of funds to purchase medicines. We will make sure we are able to serve our people,” Abbas maintained. He added that the government, the private sector and individuals would be major contributors to the fund under a mechanism to be established soon.  Among other thing, the fund will focus on impact mitigation for both children and women to ensure that effective medication is constantlly available to them.  Abbas also assured the public that, there would be no shortage of ARVs for patients as the Global Fund (GF) was still supplying the medicines to Tanzania. “The government always renews the contract with GF after every two years for them to proceed rendering the services to us, hence we are sure that the society should not fear for their heath,” the Tacaids official said.  Abbasi noted that they planned to conduct a fund-raiser that will include stakeholders from private sector, GF and Tacaids, civil society organizations (CSOs) and the government. SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Germany grants $34m for EAC health plans

The Federal Republic of Germany has inked an intergovernmental agreement with the East African Community (EAC) to support regional health programmes.

In total, euro 30m ($34m) will be invested in vaccines and the health supply chain management.

Speaking at the signing event mid this week in Arusha, Ambassador Dr. Richard Sezibera, Secretary-General of the EAC and member of the intergovernmental alliance for immunisation (GAVI) board welcomed the contribution, saying it was timely and needed.
 “We are very happy with new and existing projects that are being financed by the government of the Federal Republic of Germany,” he said.

“This assistance for the health sector in the EAC reaffirms Germany’s status as a true friend of the people of East Africa,” he declared.
In his comments, German Ambassador Egon Kochanke said this new commitment underlines Germany’s commitment to supporting Tanzania and the rest of the EAC.

“Germany continues to be a strong partner for the EAC, contributing to an integration process that puts the people in the centre," the envoy said.

Accompanying Amb. Kochanke were Lena Thiede, Counsellor/Head of Regional Cooperation at the German Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Katrin Brandes of KFW, a development bank and Bernd Multhaup, Programme Manager for GIZ, an international development agency.

Others at the function were EAC Deputy Secretary General (Planning and Infrastructure) Dr. Enos Bukuku, Lake Victoria Basin Commission Deputy Executive Secretary Patrice Niyongabo, Counsel to the Community, Dr. Albert Kafumbe, and the GAVI Special Adviser to the EAC Secretary General, Stephen Karengera.

In the contribution, German Development Cooperation will provide 20 million euros for the procurement of vaccines against different diseases affecting children in the EAC zone.

The programme will be implemented in collaboration with GAVI. This new commitment will bring Germany`s contribution to regional immunisation programmes with the EAC to 60 million euros since 2012.
Earlier in 2015, Germany hosted the record replenishment of the global vaccination alliance GAVI. As a result, an additional 300 million children will receive live-saving vaccines, including in the EAC.

Inappropriate cooling systems result in high volumes of vaccines being wasted before they reach the people that need them, a dilemma to be addressed by a grant of 10 million euros to support the establishment of the EAC regional centre of excellence for health supply chain management.

The centre, slated for Kigali, will strengthen capacities and support the management of complex supply systems for health products, such as vaccines that need to be kept cold at all times.

GAVI, the Vaccine Alliance, is a public-private global health partnership committed to increasing access to immunisation in poor countries.GAVI brings together developing country and donor governments, the World Health Organisation, UNICEF, the World Bank, the vaccine industry in both industrialised and developing countries, research and technical agencies, civil society, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and other philanthropic organisations.

Since 1998, Germany development cooperation contributes to the capacity development of the Secretariat of the EAC and regional integration in East Africa through a variety of programmes and projects. Germany's funding for technical and financial cooperation with the EAC has totalled about 176 million euros. It similarly provides substantial support for health sectors in EAC member states.
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Saturday, September 19, 2015

Friday, September 11, 2015

People with disabilities decry ‘inequality’ on election issues


Tanzania Albinism Society (TAS) Chairman Ernest Kimaya.

The federation of people with disabilities has voiced concern over lack of equality for persons with disabilities in the ongoing political elections calling on the National Electoral Commission (NEC) to ensure availability of tactile ballots during the October polls.
 
Notably, since the introduction of multiparty elections in 1995, people with disabilities, notably the blind, were only assisted by their helpers, increasing risk of cheating in the voting due to lack of tactile ballot at polling centres.
 
Addressing an ongoing workshop organised by the Foundation for Civil Societies in Tanzania yesterday in Dar es Salaam, Felician Mkude, secretary general of Tanzania Federation of Disabled People’s Organisations (Shivyawata), lauded NEC for expressing interest to introduce tactile ballot for the first time in history.
 
He said the initiative would allow the underprivileged to exercise their constitution rights and increase  their participation in political elections.
 
“It’s good that NEC has accepted our proposal for ensuring we allocate tactile ballot at polling centres for the person with disabilities,” he said.
 
The workshop brought about representatives from various dignitaries to provide a platform for information sharing and discussion of issues with vital importance to the political and elections rights to persons with disabilities.
 
“Its in our expectations that NEC shall issue sample tactile ballot before end of this month,” Mkude said at the workshop Wednesday.
 
He went on to highlight that the commission will also release sign language interpreters at election centres for deaf people.
 
Currently they are collaborating with NEC find out which areas have deaf and blind people. The data will be helpful for the group during the October polls.
 
Tanzania Albinism Society (TAS) Chairman Ernest Kimaya, was of the view that: “currently there is no such budget since during the just ended national budget debate the matter was not highlighted.”
 
He said “we need tactile ballot and sign language experts and should not be compromised in any way with budget deficit.”
 
He said the government should consider it as a matter of urgency, thus it must look for money for enabling free and fair elections.
 
Executive director of the Foundation for Civil Society, Francis Kiwanga, noted that due to previous efforts, including civic education and introduction of persons with disabilities Act, this year will see an increased participation of the group in the elections.
 
Government figures show that people with disabilities account for six per cent of total population of about 45 million people. According to data collected in 2004, there are about 350,000 blind people in the country.
 
SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Tuesday, September 8, 2015

Govt urged to subsidise nursing training fees

In order to increase the number of health workers the government has been advised to subsidise nursing and midwifery training colleges owned by individuals so they would have more students.
 
The advice was made by the Acting Head of Massana College of Nursing and Midwifery, Horeselina Magesa, during the eighth graduation ceremony for  diploma certificate holders and that of the third certificate of nursing and midwifery graduates in Dar es Salaam last weekend.  
 
He said once private colleges receive subsidies from the government the number of students would increase as studies could be offered at affordable fees. This is because at present only colleges owned by the government and religious sects get subsidies, he said.
For his part, the Director of the College, Prof Richard Lema, said most students fail to join colleges as they lack funds for paying fees. 
 
“With the small number of students we experience difficulties in expanding and running the college…funds from the central government would help us enroll many students and improve service provision,” he said.
 
However, he said the new entrance qualifications announced by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare have resulted in students decreasing in number. He said previously the college used to enroll students according to qualifications it has set.
 
Nine students graduated with diploma certificates in nursing and midwifery taking three years. Other 59 got certificates in nursing and midwifery.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN