By The Express, Dar es Salaam
The use of such patents leads to the formation of uterine fibroids, also referred to as myoma, leiomyoma, leiomyomata and fibromayoma, which are benign tumors that grow from the wall of the uterus.
Fibroids can cause heavy vaginal bleeding that will also lead to anemia and iron deficiency. Due to pressure effects, gastrointestinal problems are possible such as constipation and bloatedness.
Compression of the urethra may lead to hydronephrosis. Fibroids may also present alongside endometriosis, which itself may cause infertility. Adenomyosis may be mistaken for or coexist with fibroids.
The wall of the uterus is made up of muscle tissue, so a fibroid is a tumor made of muscle tissue, and the fibroids starts off very small, actually from a single cell, and generally grow slowly into a tumor larger than a melon over the years.
A very large uterine fibroid can cause the uterus to expand to the size of a six or seven month pregnancy. There can be either one dominant fibroid or a cluster of many small fibroids in the uterus.
This disaster is facing Tanzanian women due to the use of cosmetics which contain dangerous chemicals, including mercury, as some of their ingredients.
Section 88 (a) of the Tanzania Food, Drugs and Cosmetics Act of 2003 prohibits the manufacture, sale, supply or distribution of cosmetics that contain prohibited ingredients which may cause harm to the users under normal conditions of use.
The authority prohibited the following ingredients; biothionol, hexachlorophene, mercury compounds, vinyl chloride, zirconium containing complexes in aerosol products, halogenated salicylanilides (di, tri metabromsalan and tetrachlorosalicylanilides).
Equally prohibited are chloroquinone and its derivatives, steroids in any proportion, chloroform, chlorofluorocarbon propellants (fully halogenated chlorofluoroalkanes) in cosmetics aerosol products, methylene chloride.
All manufactures, importers, distributors, wholesalers and retailers of cosmetics were told not to engage in the supply of cosmetics containing the above prohibited ingredients. Furthermore importation into the country and manufacture of cosmetic products containing the above ingredients is also prohibited, and the prohibition is still in force.
But cosmetics containing the prohibited ingredients are still around all over Dar es Salaam city and many towns up country.
The investigation made by The Express has detected that crooks are not displaying the products in their shops, but the products are located away from the shops and sometimes are hidden inside a shop, when the client’s need for the product is being established, whether it is a normal client or an investigator, before he or she is given the kind of product they need.
However the process to abolish this illegal business is not difficult as such, yet the concerned authorities appear to be failing.
Meanwhile most of the men in this country are contributing to this disaster for their mothers, sisters, wives or daughters because they are accustomed to giving such products to them as gifts, even though some of them know the impact of the stuff in question.
Following the prohibition of cosmetics containing dangerous ingredients the authorized authority conducted a country wide inspection some years ago. The inspections conducted identified 217 cosmetic products containing one or more of the above ingredients and subsequently the products were banned from the country.
The TFDA informed all cosmetic dealers and the general public that some cosmetics contain dangerous ingredients that may cause harm or injury to the users and therefore the public should refrain from using them.
According to TFDA, the list of the banned cosmetics containing hydroquinone and steroids are: Clear Essence skin beautifying milk for sensitive skin; Fair & White Clarifiance fade cream, Fair & White Exclusive Whitenizer body lotion, Fair & White exclusive whitenizer cream gel, Fair & White Maxitone Lightening Lotion sun block, and Fair & White Skin Perfector Gel.
Others cosmetics containing hydroquinone are Fair & White Powder (Exclusive Whitenizer & Serum), New Youth Tinted Vanishing Cream, Skin Success Fade Cream Regular, Teint Clair Clear Complexion Body Lotion, Mareme Cream, Si Claire Plus Cream, Clair & White Body Cream. Cosmetics containing steroids: Fair & White serum exclusive Whitenizer, Maxi White Lightening Body Milk and Maxitone Cleansing Milk.
Avoderm Cream, Niomre Cream, Niomre Lotion, Naylor Lightening Body Cream, Si Claire Cream, Cute Press White Beauty Lotion, White SPA Rose Lotion, White SPA UV Lightening Cream. Cosmetics containing extracts of arctostaphylos UVA URSI (bearberryextract): Bio Light Cream, Salon DermaPlex, Amazon Clay Normal to Dry Skin, Beauty Secrets Body Cream, Swiss Soft N White Lightening Gel, Whitening Complex Mask.
Cosmetics containing potential carcinogenic extract from Tussilago farfara: Elasta-QP- (DPR-11) Hair Conditioner, Fantasia- Pure Tea Gro for Hair.
Cosmetics containing a high concentration of zinc pyrithione, 48% instead of 1%: Venus Solutions Soothing Scalp Treatment. There are also cosmetics containing a tin oxide ingredient associated with irritation when used around the area of the eye.
There are cosmetics containing malic acid and tartric acid that have the property of peeling off skin cells causing a whitening effect, and the AHA Whitening Cream.
The investigation by The Express has detected there are many women affected by such chemicals as are found in cosmetics in Tanzania, whilst even just in Dar es Salaam there are a great number of affected young and old ladies.
Dr. Laurent Chipata, a specialist in Temeke municipality, told The Express that there are a great number of women who attend hospital daily for treatment when they have found themselves affected by these chemicals.
Dr. Chipata talked about uterine fibroids that grow on a small stalk that connects them to the inner or outer wall of the uterus. He said the symptoms of these fibroids depend on the size, location, number and the pathological findings. Fibroids particularly when small may be entirely asymptomatic.
Important symptoms of uterine fibroids are the following: painful very heavy and prolonged menstrual periods, pain in the back of the legs, back ache, pelvic pain or pressure, pain during sexual intercourse, miscarriage during pregnancy and bleeding or acute blood loss causing anemia.
Uterine fibroid problems can be prevented or reduced by avoiding taking certain traditional or modernized products containing synthetic chemicals, including DDT, that mimic oestrogens (steroid sex hormones).
Stooges hijack Kikwete's mouthpiece
By Elias Mhegera, Dar es Salaam
Concern has arisen over political opportunists who have hijacked the presidential communication machinery and turned themselves into defacto State House spin doctors.
A cross section of intellectuals have indicated their disappointment due to a growing trend whereby whoever criticizes president Kikwete's performance is ridiculed by these self-appointed propagandists .
They say that constructive criticisms are healthy to the country and they should be encouraged rather than being discouraged.
Speaking to The Express exclusively, a retired civil servant who had worked in the State House in Dar es Salaam for a number of years said that this trend has a negative connotation.
He said that of recently there are people who appear to have 'hijacked the presidency' as they keep on issuing strong statements that should have been issued by keen people in the State House.
"Tanzanians from all walks of life have a right to criticize their president as long as whatever they are saying brings a new value to the leadership of this country", he said.
The presidency is an institution that is supposed to approach people in so many ways in order to understand their psychological reception of their president.
It is supposed to help the president to achieve the dreams and responsibilities of thousands of those who voted him into the office.
The simple logic is, the president is at the top and therefore he must be able to dominate those below him, according to ground rules as stipulated in the Constitution.
Therefore the president as such, symbolizes and represents that theme; he must show by the thrust of his deeds that any fight is worth it after all.
Open forums in so many ways provide an opportunity for people to express their feelings, people do not admire an artful person who cons them, but rather one who delivers much to their expectation.
This paper had thought up this view after one ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi cadre, Risasi Mwaulanga, had criticized some influential figures from the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation.
Mwaulanga, who initially had said that he was speaking on behalf of his federation (Universal Peace Federation), criticized the MNF on a range of issues.
The youthful Mwaulanga said that the MNF should have helped President Kikwete instead of criticizing him. For instance he suggested that the foundation should have opened a university in order to uphold Mwalimu Nyerere's zeal on education.
"We all know that Mwalimu (Julius Nyerere) emphasized education and agriculture, these people should have at least have come up with their suggestions on how to improve tertiary education in the country and the Kilimo Kwanza initiative", he retorted.
Mwaulanga, who later on admitted that he was expressing his own views and not those of his federation, when he was cornered by journalists did not spare any of Kikwete's critics.
The MNF had organized an open forum recently to commemorate ten years since the passing away of Mwalimu Nyerere. The forum amongst other things discussed Nyerere's legacy and the prevailing political situation in this country.
Since that forum there has been so much fuss by some people in certain circles and media who have launched a systematic attack against the Foundation.
For instance, Mwaulanga said that Dr Salim Ahmed Salim, who is the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the MNF, should have used his experience as a long time career diplomat to help the president run the country.
He also directed his critics to Joseph Butiku, the Executive Director of the Mwalimu Nyerere Foundation, former Premier Joseph Warioba, former ministers Mussa Nkangaa Mateo Quares, and another party cadre and agemate, Nnape Nnauye.
Mwaulanga said that Nnauye was groomed by the retired CCM-Vice Chairman John Malecela, who should have directed him on how he can contribute positively for his country.
"I know Nnape, he once competed for the CCM youth wing chairmanship and lost to Dr Emmanuel Nchimbi, you can see a good number of these critics were once aspiring or their friends were aspiring for political posts and they lost", he said.
The youthful politician said that he was not sent by anyone to say whatever he said, but it was from his sheer commitment to president Kikwete's rule, which he said he appreciated in so many ways.
"Whoever criticizes Kikwete they have got a hidden agenda, this president is popular within this country and even to the outside world, he was the one who led to the political understanding of Seif Shariff Hamad and President Karume in Zanzibar" he added.
A retired Foreign Service Officer who had once worked with President Kikwete in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Co-operation, said that it would be better if the president had changed his 'modus operandi'.
"I worked with Kikwete in the Ministry (of Foreign Affairs) and I know he had a lot of support from the media during his presidential campaigns, but now he is a different man, he is for all Tanzanians, he should allow the presidency to work for him", he commented.
Commenting on the issue, Dr Willbrod Slaa, the opposition Chadema's secretary-general said that he was surprised by what he termed 'political hypocrisy' by whomever purports to be Kikwete's sympathizer.
Dr Slaa said that all Tanzanians have a right to air their views and comment on how they feel about the country's governance. He suggested that they be allowed to do so for the benefit of their country and not for any other purpose.
"From what I understand there is a growing trend of gross indiscipline, whereby anyone can come up with a strong statement against retired leaders, this is very unfair", added Dr Slaa.
He added that the fact that CCM heavyweights like retired Premier Justice Warioba could be attacked by any cadre is a reflection of where the party is heading to.
He asked the government to restore respect to retirees so that they can share their experiences with the incumbent politicians.
Dr Sengondo Mvungi, a seasoned lawyer and lecturer at the University of Dar es Salaam, said that there is a problem of perception, whereby some people think that the CCM rift is an internal matter which is not the case.
Mvungi said that at the end of the day every Tanzanian is affected in one way or another by the ruling party rift because it weakens the working of institutions.
"For this trend certainly the media is partly to blame, because some journalists now are discussing people rather than issues; this depicts how unethical these media people are", he lamented.
Dr Mvungi, himself a former journalist, said that the media should listen, reflect and digest issues before reporting anything, rather they might be plunged into taking sides with the conflicting groups.
He asked the MNF to continue holding forums so that people from diverse thinking should come and deliver their ideas without any kind of intimidation or misinterpretation.
The chairperson of the African Progressive Party of Tanzania (APPT-Maendeleo), Peter Kuga Mziray, said that he found it strange that people of international stature like Dr Salim are ridiculed by anyone whoever thinks he can do so.
"This is ridiculous and gross indiscipline; it is a culture of lacking political tolerance which must be avoided soon than later lest we allow our nation to disintegrate", said Mziray.
The Express could not get the Director of Communication in the State House, Salva Rweyemamu, to comment as his phone was switched off throughout its attempt to get him.
Neither the ruling CCM-Publicity Secretary Capt. John Chiligati nor the party's secretary general Yusuf Makamba could be found for comment either.
Mwapachu upbeat on new year
By Elias Mhegera, Dar es Salaam
The East African Community Secretary General, Amb. Juma V. Mwapachu has highlighted that there are good prospects of improved co-operation amongst the member countries in the forthcoming years. He was delivering a speech to mark the closing of this year and the message to welcome the forthcoming year, an occasion that took place
in Arusha on Tuesday this week.
Mwapachu said that there is a promotion of a vibrant single market and investment area in East Africa which has culminated in the attainment of the threshold of a key element of a full fledged EAC Customs Union. “The year 2009 marked a high performance and visibility of the EAC, it begun on the inspirational note of the High Level Retreat for EAC
Organs and Institutions that was held in Kigali in February 2009” he remarked. Mwapachu said that under the theme “Making EAC a more Effective Institution”. The strategy retreat resolved to mount robust collaborative effort towards rapid achievement of integration objectives and demonstration of tangible benefits of regional integration.
He said that the community emphasized development of regional infrastructure and with that resolve; it took strategic development plans to higher stages of implementation. Mwapachu said that the priority was placed on projects in infrastructure - roads, railways, inland waterways, ports and harbours, communications/ICT, energy and civil aviation.
He applauded construction works that commenced on the Arusha-Namanga- Athi River road in April, which is a vital section of
the East African Road Network that provides linkages through Tanzania and Kenya to Uganda and on to Rwanda and Burundi. Mwapachu said that the ambitious East African Railways Master Plan that was intended to rehabilitate and revamp the railways system was also launched. Ambassador Mwapachu also highlighted on the infrastructure development, the Power Interconnection Project between Kenya and Tanzania at the Namanga border post that was commissioned. Moreover Mwapachu said that the community has intensified activities in other sector projects and programmes, including the East African agricultural and rural development programme.
In the same vein it has dealt with Lake Victoria Basin Development and programmes in the productive and social sectors - health, gender and community development, tourism and wildlife, education, culture and sports, science and technology. He also applauded the attainment of the phasing down to zero tariffs
for all goods traded within the region with effect from the 1st January 2010. He said that in collaboration with the East African Business Council
(EABC) the EAC undertook trade and investments promotion activities to key world trade centres in Europe, Asia and North America. He also highlighted on the Second EAC Investment Conference that was held in Nairobi in July which was attended by a record number of over 1,800 regional and international investors.
Mwapachu said that the conference realized great success in promoting the region’s economic potentials and investment opportunities. The ambassador said that the EAC did pursue negotiations of the Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) with the European Union, and that it participated at the forefront of the Tripartite EAC-COMESA-SADC
initiative. This was towards the establishment of a Free Trade Area of the three major African regional economic communities. He said that this larger trade area will further boost EAC’s market advantage and strength. Mwapachu said the signing of the EAC Common Market Protocol, now targeted to come into force on 1st July 2010, has coincided with new
momentum gathered in the process towards the establishment of the East African Monetary Union. He applauded the movement towards full integration of East Africa, activities in economic integration and trade development, and promotion of greater political will and development of policies for
good governance. In the same bid he commended the anti-corruption, democracy, rule of law and protection of human rights efforts in the region. He applauded the efforts in foreign policy co-ordination, conflict management, prevention and resolution; and defense co-operation. He said that the EAC’s abiding concern remains to align national political activities and trends with regional integration objectives as the region moves towards deeper integration and rapid socio-economic transformation. Mwapachu said that the celebrations to mark the 10th Anniversary had a great impact on raising positive awareness of the EAC as well as demonstration of the benefits and achievements of regional
integration. He said that this on the whole, invigoration of the spirit of East African unity and development.
CETA calls for moral rearmament
By The Express reporter
THE Civic Education Teachers Association (CETA) has condemned grand corruption and called for citizens to re-evaluate themselves on the basic morals and ethics, in order to maintain peace and unity in the country.
The call came in the wake of a two-day seminar conducted at Karimjee Hall on Thursday and Friday last week, to review the new syllabus for ‘A’-level General Studies.
CETA members said that it was their duty to teach such matters appropriately, so as to mould the younger generation which constitutes future leaders.
Presenting a paper on good governance, the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Team Leader, Richard Shaba, said that in order to get rid of malpractices one has always to start with accountability.
“Good governance should always start with how leaders become accountable in their expenditure and other general operations; they should maintain financial discipline in order to avoid the weakening of institutions,” he said.
He referred to advanced countries like Germany and Japan, where senior public figures like ministers use either public transport or their own private cars when they are off duty.
He said that one of the areas which is costing a lot of coffers money is lavish expenditure where some public leaders misuse their positions by spending more than what the government can afford.
“I wish every government leader was cost- conscious so as to maintain financial discipline, we would not have such extravagance, this is a liability to the nation’s economy”, commented Shaba.
He acknowledged the fact that civic education and general studies were very crucial subjects because they inculcate the national ethos that is badly needed to re-shape the nation, which has been affected by moral decay in so many areas.
He said that apart from teachers, parents should also play their role by imparting values that are worthy of a nation that is striving to build good governance.
Shaba said that without openness and transparency in government expenditure, a few Tanzanians will continue to enrich themselves to the detriment of the majority poor.
Another presenter, Ms Illuminata Mosha, a former curriculum developer with the Tanzanian Institute of Education (TIE), said that teachers should adapt themselves to new teaching methods in order to match the new emerging technologies.
She asked all teachers to ensure that all secondary students to start with, have access to the internet facility, which is one of the very essential teaching tools.
“We should avoid excuses that the internet facility can not be used in a rural setting, this is a fallacy, we must exhaust all possible ways, otherwise the students on the peripheries will always lag behind”, she warned.
Mosha said that students should be allowed to develop academically from the outset, by allowing them to participate fully in the learning process, and generate their own ideas on the subject matter concerned in their discussions.
CETA Executive Director Salim Olotu said that civic education teachers should provide civic awareness to schools primarily, since that is their main task, but they should also aim at the community.
“Schools do not exist in a vacuum; they exist in the community, so you should extend your knowledge to them in various areas like HIV/Aids, problems of corruption, and other social evils, you are experts and that is your duty” said Olotu.
Reiterating the history of CETA, Olotu said that it was established in order to unite teachers who teach civic education, but also to cover the civic awareness gap that existed in the country, particularly in the rural areas where people have no access to mass media.
Olotu acknowledged the fact that his organization was established on a voluntary basis, due to the commitment of some teachers who understood that it was their duty to support it.
“I am glad that KAS, and DED have kept us going, after realizing that what we are doing is for the benefit of the country, particularly the marginalized groups that need to be empowered”, he remarked.
Olutu also thanked other stakeholders in democracy like former National Assembly speaker Pius Msekwa, when he was still in his Parliamentary office.
Apart from reviewing the syllabus, teachers also discussed other cross-cutting pertinent issues that affect Tanzanians, like the global financial crunch, corruption, globalization, and the pros and cons of information and communication technologies (ICTs).
Moreover teachers discussed as well the challenges that face the teaching profession in Tanzania, and how to overcome them. They also discussed how to maintain peace and tranquility, being stakeholders in this country’s political scene.
Another speaker from KAS who had sponsored the occasion, Erasto Ndeuka, said that in most cases it was teachers in many countries who deliberated what should transpire in their countries.
Elaborating, Ndeuka said that teachers are the ones who shape future political leaders so if they failed to handle their task properly they would consequently affect the whole nation.
“It is you teachers who should inculcate the sense of patriotism and self-reliance into students, if you fail to do so you will just add to the ‘begging’ syndrome which is not good at all”, he said.
Contributing to the debate, Adam Juma, a teacher at Korogwe Secondary School, called for the media to be used properly during political campaigns in order to avoid inciting conflicts in the society.
“We appreciate the role of the media, but we also understand that at times this is misused by some politicians in order to suit their own ends, this is not proper because it can fuel chaos in the country”, he remarked.
He was supported by other teachers who said that there was a need for civic bodies to condemn use of bribes and excessive force during general elections.
Teachers asked whoever wants to venture into politics to be well versed with a set of alternative policies rather than bribes, in order to attract votes.
“You cannot say that there are free and fair elections in Tanzania while we see a series of intimidations and misuse of funds by the ruling oligarchy during election campaigns”, said one teacher, who preferred anonymity.
Another teacher jumped in saying that the use of money from the External Payments Arrears account (EPA) during the last general elections in 2005 was a gross violation of democracy as it denied other parties a fair participation, because they were lacking in funds.
At the end of the seminar, civic education teachers decided that they will soon come out with their declaration ahead of the general elections next year.
By Elias Mhegera, Dar es Salaam
TheTanzania Marketing and Communications for AIDS, Reproductive Health, Child Survival and Infectious Diseases (T-MARC) campaign has realized significant results re stigma against HIV/Aids patients, in Rufiji District.
So said Rufiji District Commissioner, Kasim Majaliwa, in a speech read on his behalf by a district representative, Simon Masatu.
TMARC project is a five-year USAID Private Sector Program initiative managed by the Academy for Educational Development.
The NGO has been working in Rufiji where it led a campaign calling for abstinence from unsafe sex in order to reduce the transmission of HIV/Aids.
Moreover the NGO campaigned for behavior change that will improve public health and for getting rid of the stigma attached to HIV/Aids infected people.
The district commissioner urged Rufiji residents to remain faithful to their marriage partners as it was one of the most important measures in avoiding new infections.
The DC further said that the campaign under the slogan “Listen to the Bell, Stick to Your Partner” has had a significant impact on the citizenry of Rufiji.
“It is only through remaining faithful to your marriage partner that you can avoid the risk of new infections, so there is no way you can escape these campaigns they are for your own good”, read part of that speech.
For his part TMARC representative Kulindwa Zacharia said that Rufiji residents can avoid new infections if they keep listening to their leaders and other stakeholders like religious leaders and NGOs, in the campaign against the deadly disease.
Zacharia said that those who have attended his organization’s campaigns should become role models in their own settings whether in rural or peri-urban centres.
He said there was no way people could escape new infection, except through self ¬discipline and change of behaviour.
Rifiji district medical officer Dr Koseph Sasi said that although there are many efforts from various stakeholders to wipe out the scourge of HIV/Aids, there are still many people in Rufiji whose health status remains unknown.
He therefore warned them not to take up any new sexual relationships without prior medical check up in order to establish their HIV/Aids health status.He lashed out at residents who tend to shun public campaigns against the spread of the disease, saying that in a way they affect the government’s initiative in creating awareness about the disease.
A notable cleric, Sheik of Utete Athuman Bofu who represented religious denominations, said that reading holy books was one way of ensuring that people will live an ethical life and avoid the spread of HIV/Aids and other STIs.
Secondary school entrance
By Winfrida Mtoi
Due to adequate classrooms all pupils picked to join Form I in Dar es Salaam in 2010 will be admitted in January without shelving others for a second selection, the authorities have revealed.
According to a report of the Dar es Salaam Regional Commissioner, William Lukuvi, a total of 35,379 primary school students, constituting 84% of those who succeeded in their final examination for the year 2009, have been selected to join Form I next year.
Lukuvi said that the remaining16 per cent will have to join the communal secondary schools been built by people of each of the municipal councils in Dar es Salaam.
He added that about 164 classrooms are expected to be completed very soon so as to accommodate them.
“We are anticipating completion of classroom construction by January 10th 2010, so as to accommodate all of them on January 11th 2010, when beginning the first term”, said Lukuvi.
The students who sat for the examination were 60,254 where those in private schools were 42,064, of whom males were 22,596 and females were 19,468.
A total 1,879 registered students in the region did not sit the examination for various reasons, including truancy, illness, death, or having been transferred to other regions..
He further said that 58 students have been selected to join special talent schools, while another 64 will join boarding technical schools and a further 37 ordinary boarding schools.
He also said that some 2,458 will go to public secondary schools, whereas some 32,771 will pursue their studies in the region’s community schools.
He added that as most of the community schools were built on the outskirts of the three municipal councils, these have submitted their application for allocating those who failed to get vacancies within their respective wards, therefore there is a possibility of some 11,727 being sent outside of their wards.
Experts hold meeting on persons with disabilities
By The Express Reporter
Dar es Salaam
The First Meeting of Experts on Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) organised by the EAC Secretariat in collaboration with the East African Legislative Assembly (EALA)’s General Purpose Committee concluded in Kampala, Uganda recently with a call to all the Partner States to scale up commitment to the cause of Persons with Disabilities in the Region. The Experts meeting was convened as a forerunner to the conference on Persons with Disabilities scheduled for 8 to 9 February 2010 in Kampala, Uganda.
The main aim of the upcoming Kampala conference is to put in place mechanisms for the implementation of the Provisions of Article 120 (c) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the EAC, in which the Partner States undertook to closely cooperate in the field of Social Welfare.
The meeting was attended by Members of the EALA General Purpose Committee, Delegates from the Ministries dealing with PWDs in the EAC Partner States, Representatives of the EAC Secretariat and Representatives of Civil Society Organizations dealing with matters of Disabilities.
The meeting was chaired by Ms. Dorah Neema, from the Ministry of East African Cooperation, the United Republic of Tanzania, who hailed the EAC Secretariat for organizing the first-ever meeting on People with Disabilities (PWDs) in the EAC calendar of activities. The EAC Deputy Secretary General in charge of Productive and Social Sectors, Mr. Jean Claude Nsengiyumva commended Members of EALA General Purpose Committee for their commitment to the efforts being made to promote the welfare of PWDs in the region.
Mr. Nsengiyumva reiterated that one of the four components which form the priority areas of cooperation among the Partner States is in the area of Social Protection, especially for vulnerable groups including PWDs.
The Deputy Secretary General urged the participants to share information and experiences about their countries’ efforts to draft laws, policies and programmes on disability, the gaps, challenges and process of including disability in the MDGs, together with the current social protection initiatives in the Partner States.
The Chairperson for the EALA General Purpose Committee, Hon. Lydia Wanyoto Mutende, MP, urged for the incorporation of PWDs in the different phases of the entire EAC integration process.
She pointed out that the EAC secretariat in collaboration with EALA, was ready to create synergies to advance the cause of the PWDs at all levels of Government in all the Partner States. In this context, Hon. Wanyoto affirmed that every East African had space and a role to play in the regional integration process.
The EAC Principal Gender and Community Development Officer, Mrs. Perpetue Miganda said the meeting had been convened to put in place mechanisms for the implementation of the Provisions of Article 120(c) of the Treaty for the Establishment of the East African Community. She said the article expresses the Partner States commitment to closely cooperate in the field of “social welfare with respect to among others; the development and adoption of a common approach towards disadvantaged and marginalised groups, including children, the youth, the elderly and PWDs through rehabilitation and provision of among others, foster homes heath care, education and training”.
She further pointed out that all the EAC Partner States signed and ratified the United Nations Convention on the Rights of PWDs and its optional Protocol, which places an obligation on these States to ensure changes in legislation, policies and programmes to promote the rights of PWDs.
She informed the participants that formulation of an EAC Policy on PWDs was a priority initiative to be undertaken before the end of 2010. In the same vein the EAC Ministers responsible for Social Development in their recent meeting of October 2009, urged Partner States to harmonise and mainstream vulnerable groups in issues of development policies, strategies and plans.
The First Meeting of Experts provided a forum for delegates from Partner States’ institutions and organisations dealing with PWDs to analyze their national legislations, policies and the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in their respective countries. Delegates also identified the gaps, challenges and the processes of including Disability in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and the current social protection initiatives in the Partner States.
Tiger, Tiger, burning bright
• How to revive the brand of Tiger Woods
“GO ON. Be a Tiger” no longer has the favourable connotations it did only a month ago—so it is hardly surprising that Accenture, the consulting firm that made the phrase its tagline, has decided to end its marketing relationship with Tiger Woods, following his confession to marital infidelities.
The golfer and his family will suffer a heavy financial price in addition to the personal cost of his alleged misbehaviour: Gatorade, Gillette and Nike are at least temporarily suspending deals that, with prize money, had made him the first athlete to become a billionaire, according to Forbes magazine. Yet reports of the death of Mr Woods’s brand are exaggerated. If he follows the right disaster-management strategy, one day he could be coining it again.
Branding types are not impressed with his tactics so far. “He didn’t behave like a billion-dollar brand,” says Marian Salzman, a trend-forecaster at EuroRSCG, a big advertising firm. “He didn’t get out in front of it, first choosing denial rather than coming clean.” In particular, Mr Woods did not find a credible spokesman to defend him in public by arguing, say, that he was hired by Accenture and others for his sporting skill rather than how he conducts his personal life. (Instead, the most prominent golfer to stand up publicly for Mr Woods was John Daly, who has had gambling, alcohol and weight problems, as well as four wives.)
The spokesman could have pointed out that he had not been caught committing a crime of any sort (apart from careless driving), nor did he have problems with drinking or gambling, nor had he been a bad father—offences that Americans are less ready to forgive. He could have asked the news media to dwell less on the episode to “protect his children”, says Ms Salzman.
Mr Woods and his advisers seem to have been either “incredibly naive or arrogant”, says Ms Salzman, especially by failing to recognise the growing power of social media. The voice message left for one alleged mistress asking her to “take your name off the phone” could not have spread so rapidly to millions of people only a few years ago. The blogosphere, Twitter and other networking tools spread the speculation about his personal life quickly, especially during the Thanksgiving holiday when the traditional mainstream media are putting their feet up. “That made it all the more important that he get out in front of the story,” says Ms Salzman.
It is instructive to compare Mr Woods’ case with that of another sporting celebrity accused of infidelity: David Beckham. He strenously denied the allegations but his spokesmen also limited the potential damage by responding to them more rapidly than Mr Woods’s did. In particular, Team Beckham ensured that the news media were quickly briefed with information that cast doubt on some of the accusations, notes Andy Milligan, author of “Brand It Like Beckham” and co-founder of The Caffeine Partnership, a brand-advisory firm.
Mr Beckham also played the “family card”, making hastily arranged appearances with his wife and children in the presence of hordes of paparazzi—although Elin Woods may not have given her husband that option. Mr Beckham also had the advantage that the two core features of his personal brand were sporting prowess and fashion, neither of which was fundamentally damaged by the allegations, says Mr Milligan. It is even possible to imagine that tales of amorous exploits, even untrue ones, might add spice to his marketing campaign to sell Gillette razors, under the slogan “The Best A Man Can Get”.
Celebrity endorsements go wrong, says Mr Milligan, when the celebrities do something that undermines the “product” that they have made themselves into. For instance, the recent admission by France’s Thierry Henry, another Gillette spokesman, that he committed the offence of “handball” during a World Cup qualifying game has hurt his main selling-point of being a great sportsman. Mr Woods had built his image around a supposedly squeaky-clean personal life as well as his golfing prowess.
Nonetheless, there are signs that Mr Woods is getting out of the rough and back on to the fairway. As when Perrier water was discovered to contain traces of benzene in 1990, or when Bridgestone Firestone faced claims (which it denied) in 2000 that some of its tyres had caused deadly crashes, the first step on the road to recovery is to withdraw the product from the market. Mr Woods has done that by announcing on his website that he is taking an “indefinite break from professional golf”. This, plus the right apologetic noises, as Mr Woods is now making, “reassures people you really care”, says Mr Milligan. Then, after a suitable period of absence, he can relaunch himself in the public eye—perhaps a tearful appearance on “The Oprah Winfrey Show”?
A successful re-launch of the Tiger brand will require a new narrative for his personal life, and a return to success on the golf courseCompleting a successful re-launch of the Tiger brand will require two things: a new narrative for his personal life, and a return to success on the golf course (the pursuit of Jack Nicklaus’s record for winning majors remains a gripping tale). Broadly speaking, his ideal strategy on the personal side is to tap into America’s love of a good redemption story by rebuilding his marriage. If that is not possible, a fresh start with a new wife (preferably not a former cocktail waitress), while continuing to be a good father, represents Plan B. A riskier option would be to abandon the wife option altogether (but not the good-parenting strategy, which no-one would forgive), and remake himself as a playboy. There is a definite market opportunity here, now that Hugh Hefner is getting on. He could even recycle his Accenture slogan: “Go on. Be a Tiger!”
Certainly, there is nothing in the fall from grace of Mr Woods to justify claims of a “coming decline in celebrity endorsements” by businesses, as Rosabeth Moss Kanter, a management guru, suggests in the Harvard Business Review blog. Still less is there any reason, as Sam Tanenhaus suggests in the New York Times, “to retire—or at least rethink—the adage ‘there is no such thing as bad publicity’.” The whole point of this adage is that what seems at first to be bad publicity can be transformed. “Companies that screw up, then go into overdrive in apologising and putting the situation right end up with a much deeper customer relationship than before,” says Mr Milligan, who thinks the same can be true of Mr Woods. “He hasn’t committed a crime against humanity. He has just been caught with his pants down—which actually adds drama to his story, and could improve his long-term value.”
If he sorts out his personal life and wins some more tournaments, Mr Woods could soon be on his way to that second billion. Accenture could even start running adverts featuring a triumphant Tiger with a new slogan: “However bad it looks, it can be turned around.”
A fishy business
By Timothy Kahoho, Dar es Salaam
FINALLY the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock Development may immediately despose of bulk fish been seized from a foreign ship within the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of the United Republic of Tanzania since 8th March, 2008.
The High Court of Tanzania has permitted the ministry on 20th October, 2009, to act proptly following its application to relax the order issued earlier by the court for sale of the perishable product through international tendering or marketing process.
"I hereby grant the request made by the applicant to sell the impounded fish by public auction," pronounced Judge Raziah Sheikh of the High Court at Dar es Salaam.
Judge Sheikh's announcement enabled the ministry to find means of getting reliable buyers of the 296.3 tones of fish both at local and international markets as soon as possible.
The ministry's application was submitted on 19th October, 2009, before the presiding judge by Senior State Attorney (SSA) Deo Nangera, while the defendants were represented by their legal counsel, Captain Ibrahim Bendera.
The SSA had argued that the prior order of the court was arrived at on the basis of insufficient information and unforeseeable circumstances, such as the current electricity problem within the City of Dar es Salaam.
Furthermore, Nangera had argued that the government was likely to suffer irreparable loss in terms of finance as it has been paying storage charge of TShs. 104 million per month. He said it so far incurred over TShs. 700 million on storage of the fish with effect from 8th March, 2008.
The public lawyer asked relaxation of the prior order of the court by considering the length of time involved for inviting international bidders and the fact that the fish was subjected to a danger to decay due to shortage of electricity.
Notwithstanding, Captain Bendera had objected to the effect of the court striking out the application on the grounds that under the Criminal Procedure Act, it has no power to review its own order by way of varying unless a genuine mistake has been established.
“The order upon which the republic seeks to review has no genuine mistake for this court to vary its own decision,” argued the said defence counsel for the 37 foreigners facing Criminal Session Case No. 38 of 2009 before Judge Sheikh, which involves illegal fishing within the EEZ of Tanzania.
Bendera had asked the court to strike out the application because it has no legal basis or enabling provisions for the court to do so.
The 37 accused persons are being prosecuted after being caught during a joint patrol mounted by Fishery Inspectors from Tanzania, South Africa, Mozambique and Kenya using a South African environmental protection vessel known as Sarah Baartman.
It was at the joint operation that all accused persons were found on 8th March, 2008, with 296.3 tonnes of fish purportedly fished in the EEZ of Tanzania.
When the prosecution side read the facts by 1st October, 2009, before Judge Sheikh, the defence side never disputed the quantity of fish found with all accused persons that the trial judge issued the order for the fish to be sold through international tender or marketing after furnishing evaluation report to that effect.
Sponsored trip to watch Premier League
By Pendo Omary, Dar es Salaam
Barclays launched a new account called the “Barclays Premier League” Account, which will gives both new and existing customers the opportunity of winning tickets to watch live matches in the premier league in England.
Speaking in a presentation held this week at the bank headquarters in Dar es Salaam, Retail Director Manoj Anchan said that there will be three draws in all, scheduled for November, 2009, January and March 2010, at which eligible winners will win tickets, accommodation and travel expenses for a paid trip to England to watch the Barclays Premier League in England.
He commented that Barclays began sponsoring the Barclays Premier League 2001 in recognition that it has fast become one of the most popular football leagues in the World, watched in over 200 territories in 500 million homes across the globe.
The promotion enables Barclays to reward its customer with one of the most coveted prizes - an all expenses paid trip to watch a live premier game.
“Today we are here to launch the BPL Account, however we are also proud to announce the Barclays Premier League Trophy will be coming to Tanzania on 6th November 2009”, Mr Anchan announced.
Indeed, he said, it is a great opportunity for football enthusiasts in Tanzania to view the most revered icon of the Barclays Premier League, the trophy, and the opportunity will showcase the trophy to Tanzanian audiences.
The Barclays Premier account opening balance is TZS 50,000 to be eligible for the competition, and the required balance is TZS 250,000 for current and saving accounts respectively.
War on Want of Northern Ireland provides 400m/-
By Merline Mhamaka, Morogoro
Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and 10 community groups in Morogoro Region, have been provided with Tsh 400 million by War on Want Agency of Northern Ireland via its office in this country from 2007 to 2009.
Speaking to reporters in his office Monday last week, the organisation's representative in Tanzania Demetrius Malopola said that since opening its office in Morogoro Region, the organisation has managed to provide money and trainning to 10 NGOS which are in Morogoro, Kilosa, Ulanga and Kilombero municipalities.
Malopola went on to say that the organisation provides money be offering capitals and building their capacities intellectually through providing them with various trainings, including money management, entrepreneurship and how to write proposals for seeking capitals and many others so that they secure the money according to the Organisation's Objectives.
He mentioned the NGOs and the community based organisations as being Darul Muslemeen Orphanage Centre, Kihonda Widows Group, Mehayo Mental Deficiency Society and Imarika Trust, all in Morogoro Municipality.
Others are Ukwama Orphans children Home, Ulanga West Development Organisation (UWEDO), St Maria Magdalena Ifakara Women Group and Udzungwa Environment Club, all in Kilombero District.
Others are Magubike Neema (Grace) Women's Group, and Kimamba Ukombozi (salvation) Group both in Kilosa District and that they will work with the organisation for four years (2007 - 2011).
Speaking on the War on Want of Northern Ireland, the organisation's representative in Tanzania, Malopola said that the organisation is performing the works of stakeholders who are the NGOs and Community Based Organisations (GBOs) which are Tanzanian and they work in areas of building the capacities of the NGOs so that eventually they become self-reliance.
Adding, they build their capacities in two areas, which are capacity building and provide them with capitals which have no interest payments, but working according to agreements between the Organisation and the NGOs or CBOs.
Kenyan fishermen violate Tanzanian waters
By Yasin Shaaban
Kenyan fishermen who inhabit Vanga, a small hamlet that is the last
inhabited point before the border, claim they have come under
sustained harassment by Tanzanian security forces who bar them from
fishing along the maritime border.
Vanga has been one of the leading ancient fishing villages along the
coastline, supplying most of the fish stocks for Mombasa and the
entire south coast.
But over 350 fishermen who work the vast stretch of coast that
stretches close to 200 nautical kilometres claim the Tanzanian
authorities have a replicated a ‘Migingo’ over them.
The fishermen say in recent past many of them have been arrested while
on the Kenyan side of the maritime border and thrown into Tanzanian
jails.
Mr Musa Pandu, a fisherman for the last 10 years, says Tanzania has
put a ring of security personnel who "arrest us, fine us or take us to
their courts".
Pandu, 34, has was arrested three times near Moa fishing grounds,
allegedly tortured, prosecuted and fined together with other Kenyan
fishermen.
Recently, he was among 30 fishermen who were fined the equivalent of
Sh10,000 each and another Sh100,000 for their boat by a Tanzanian
court in Tanga.
Kenyans are notorious for violating other people's waters as happened
in Lake Victoria, where they have over-fished and invaded Migingo
island, which belongs to Uganda.
No licences for decrepit mills
By Amiry Ismailly, Kiomboi
Tanzania Cotton Farmers Association has recommended that worn-out mills the country over should not be provided with cotton processing licences.
The Association's chairman, Lazaro Nduta, made this recommendation in a message he gave at the climax of Pamba Day celebrations, held at national level at Msae village, in Singida region.
The chairman mentioned other recommendations such as having one branch possessing clean godowns in a village which will purchase cotton from the farmers, a persuasive factor that should lead them to bring their cotton for auctioning at such godowns.
Other recommendations from Nduta: that mills having no technicians who have studied the procedures of cotton processing should not be allowed to process cotton, and the Cotton Board should have engineers with knowledge about processing good quality cotton threads, and what the machines should be like for this production.
"Competition in buying on the free market has led to the pollution of our product, and the rampant construction of cotton processing mills has contributed to destroying cotton’s cleanliness and quality," elaborated Nduta.
Expanding on the subject of procedures, the chairman emphasised how using the passbooks system has been very beneficial to cotton farmers despite the minor defects that had occurred.
"Farmers can make savings which enable them to buy inputs without any problem, and the defects can be rectified," the chairman assured them.
More than 14 million people benefit from the cotton product, and not making farmers realise the importance of cultivating the crop is tantamount to denying almost 35% of Tanzanians the benefits of cotton-growing.
EAC to hold regional forum on customs and trade facilitation
By The Express Reporter, Dar es Salaam
THE East African Community will this week hold a regional discussion on key implementation issues on Customs Union and the main challenges to trade facilitation in the region.
The EAC’s “Regional High Level Forum on Customs Reform and Implementation of a Fully Fledged Customs Union” is taking place from October 30 and 31 at the Ngurdoto Mountain Lodge and has been organised by the EAC Directorate of Customs and Trade in partnership with USAID-Compete and the Investment Climate Facility (ICF).
It is one of several commemorative events for the EAC 10th Anniversary celebrations. The theme of the Forum is "Moving the EAC to a fully fledged Customs Union".
Participants at the Forum will take stock of achievements and challenges of the Customs Union in its five years of implementation and discuss the transformation to a fully fledged Customs Union.
Discussions shall focus on the framework to adopt taking into account the free movement of goods, internal customs border controls and management of customs revenue collection, the role of non customs agencies in a fully fledged Customs Union and trade facilitation, among others.
In regard to the Forum, the EAC Director of Customs Mr. Kenneth Bagamuhunda said: “This event is a climax of the transitional process of the EAC Customs Union since 2005 where remarkable achievements have been registered in trade, investment and business performance. As EAC enters into the consolidation level of the Customs Union, it is important to take stock of the process and clearly define the transformation of this critical pillar of EAC integration which is a foundation for the Common Market and Monetary Union.”
Resource persons including Commissioners General of Revenue Authorities, heads of Immigration, Bureaus of Standards, Ports Authorities and the Business sector will make presentations through panel discussions on selected topics.
The one and half-day Forum is expected to formulate a harmonized approach and strategic interventions which will be consolidated into a blueprint to guide the region in achieving a fully fledged Customs Union, due January next year.
Over 150 senior executives of government and private sector agencies involved in the implementation of the Customs Union from within the EAC region will attend.
Participants will include among others, Ministers responsible for Finance, Investment, Industry, Trade, EAC Affairs and infrastructure.
Tanzania’s Prime Minister Mr. Mizengo Pinda is expected to open the Forum.
Mwapachu lauds US -EAC cooperation in transport and infrastructure
By The Express Reporter, Dar es Salaam
THE East African Community Secretary General Mr. Juma Mwapachu has lauded the United States cooperation in transport and infrastructure development with the region.
Mr. Juma Mwapachu said when opening a two-day US - EAC workshop on “Developing Sustainable Transport Systems” at Naura Springs Hotel in Arusha that he was pleased to see the process of establishing a US-EAC Council at Ministerial level which would help to develop projects and programmes which will drive the cooperation between the two sides.
The EAC Secretary General noted that the workshop was apparently held at a right time when the conclusion of a signed Memorandum of Understanding between the US government and EAC is being implemented.
He said that early last year in Kampala, Uganda, the EAC, USA-DoT and US Trade and Development Agency signed a Memorandum of Understanding, that encapsulated the shared resolution by the contracting parties to empower the EAC so as to achieve deeper economic integration.
Mr. Mwapachu however noted that the workshop was yet, another example of the fast evolving relationship between the US Government and the EAC as it seeks to address one of the key challenges that confront the region.
He pointed out the EAC is on the verge of reaching the threshold of its Customs Union starting next January with intra-regional movement of goods be duty free.
He also added that EAC was closing in on the finishing its marathon towards the establishment of Common Market in which the regional heads of state are expected to sign next month.
He as well, disclosed that the roads, railways and water transportation systems in the region are, on average, in a poor state as are the railways and inland waterways transport systems. He added that even though efforts which seek to address these mega city transport woes are underway, such as the Dar Rapid Transport System and the Nairobi Metropolitan Transport Strategy, escalating costs and intensifying unplanned urbanization could limit the effectiveness of these transport programmes.
To address the adverse environmental impact on the transport sector, Mr. Mwapachu said that the sector worldwide is largely energy intensive and consumes a large amount of natural resources, with estimates that road traffic is responsible for about 25 percent of worldwide emissions of gases.
“It is thus crucial that a sustainable transport policy and strategy identifies the relevant environmental, social and economic concerns and tries to strike a correct though delicate balance. This is a hugely sensitive task, often linked to political overtones especially in the urbanized poor societies such as those in our region”, he said.
He also bemoaned the high road accident rates in the East African region, where 65 percent of the fatalities involving passengers in public vehicles and pedestrians.
The Secretary General noted that conurbations in EAC mega cities such as Dar es Salaam, Nairobi and Kampala have huge implications on motorized traffic and the challenge lies in reducing traffic through better transport planning systems which are also environmentally sound.
“These systems must also address the growing special needs of the physically challenged populations which is a major policy deficit in the EAC transport systems” he noted.
He further said that sustainable mobility cannot be realized without political will and institutional reorganizations at the national levels remarking that the EAC Secretariat was duty-bound to bring forth the results of the workshop to the EAC Partner States for review and action.
The US government representative at the workshop, the political and Economic Affairs Officer at the American Embassy in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, Ms Emily C. Shaffer expressed strong support for the efforts of the US Department of Transportation and the EAC Secretariat in organizing the workshop.
She said, “It is our desire that the ties between the United States the members of the East African Community will continue to expand on every level, to the mutual benefit of our citizens”.
Ms Shaffer noted that better roads will enhance abilities of the citizens of the East African Community to capitalize on their individual competitive advantages by trading with neighbours.
Over 120 transport stakeholders from the region are attending the workshop. Among them are the Permanent Secretaries; Eng. Abdulrazaq A. Ali of the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Kenya, and Ms Marie Claire Mukasine of the Ministry of Infrastructure of the Republic of Rwanda.
New leadership magazine launched
By Asmah Mokiwa, Dar es Salaam
AFRICA’S SOCIAL, economic, political and environmental turbulence is a result of leadership failure, the Secretary General of East African Federation Mr. Juma Mwapachu has stressed.
Mwapachu said when addressing members of the African Leadership Initiative (ALI) midweek in Dar es Salaam during the inaugural launch of the AfricanEssence magazine where he said there was a cause and effect correlation between the current African crisis and the quality of leadership.
He said: “The looming climate of cynicism and mistrust is increasingly observable. These conditions are consuming and sapping Africa’s energies , initiatives and appetite for mental and physical liberation.”
He challenged ALI to quickly explore the vanishing values and ethics in the social milieu saying a growing sense of hopelessness and apathy were taking root leading to the emergence of bizarre fundamentalist ideas which undermine basic respect and trust for democratic representativeness.
The EAC Secretary General said Africa was in an urgent need for a galvanized new leadership mindset noting that the increasingly noticeable religious evangelism cutting across the religious divide, emergence of pyramid financial schemes and politics of selfishness evidenced the current societal condition.
“Low voter registrations and actual voting in recent elections noted in Tanzania in the just ended local government elections was good testimony that people are now voting with their feet. This reflected on the falling trust on current leadership and the entire sad state of African society”, he said.
Mwapachu said: “Apart from fostering the spirit of wealth creation, the African Leadership Initiative must spur enlightened leadership but also promote greater open-minded dialogue and conversation on what are timeless ideas and values that shape and fashion harmonious and tolerant societies.”
He said leadership was primarily about achieving greatness and challenged current African leaders to reach out to the ordinary folks, leading with a purpose that is liberating in all forms of human needs and expectations.
His sentiments were echoed by the ALI-EAF Chairman Ali Mufuruki who said the selection of political leaders can be enhanced if the stock from which the leaders were chosen was widened to include a critical mass of persons who are ethical, values driven, effective and enlightened through knowledge.
Mufuruki revealed that the African Leadership Initiative has for the past eight years dedicated its work including regular workshops, on helping members grow from success to significance but most importantly move from thought to action by tackling the foremost societal challenges of our times.
Mufuruki said: “We hope the process would play a positive role in the resolution of the African Leadership question by contributing a critical mass of enlightened, ethical and values-driven leaders to the wider leadership pool of the continent.”
“From armed conflict to failed states, from famine to lack of opportunity, from poverty to lack of economic progress, from inequality to genocide, from diseases to violet coup d’etats, from aid dependency to the proverbial resource curse: from corruption to mis-governance, from tribalism to religious sectarianism: all these labels have made Africa the unchallenged would leader in almost every inglorious category of human endeavour” said Mr. Mufuruki
Mr. Mufuruki continue to say that the list of African problems is endless but it is not new and as much as they write about them but very rarely has anyone come up with a solution to our troubles
“The would seems to have become accustomed to the so called African Condition, always at the bottom of the Would Human Development Index, The would foreign investment Index and most recently topping the would failed States Index” Mr. Mufuruki said
He further more that the African themselves appear to have come to term with their condition, making begging for charity an essential part of economic and foreign policy, relying on ethers to think and plan for their future and assigning a very low premium on the life of the African human being
Family planning is the way
By Asmah Mokiwa, Dar es Salaam
It has been established in many African families that having many children is taken as a sign of prestige. But what lacks is the knowledge of the associated costs of this cultural trait.
Obviously one of the feasible means to reduce such a problem is through proper family planning. But this needs long term plans whether it is in developing countries or on developed ones.
The ‘love’ for children seems to outweigh the reality of having few children who will enjoy quality life from their parents.
So the quest for family planning is a high demand for programmers that will help parents to rethink how they can fit in a new character that demands bearing of few children that are easily manageable.
At this juncture it is imperative to conclude that family planning is a lifesaver for millions of women and children.
According to the research that was conducted by the Population Reference Bureau (PRB) on family planning, and whose results were released in May this year, there are many benefits of family planning.
The report says the benefits ranges from increased survival of children, improvement in the health of woman and their children.
These being essential components in helping to achieve national goals, latest estimates indicate that family planning could prevent more than two million children’s deaths annually.
In the same vain it is also argued that this could rescue up to one-third of all maternal deaths which occur at the rate of more than one in a minute worldwide.
There are many forms of safety for millions of vulnerable women and their children if they permit healthy spacing of births.
Apart from avoiding the spread of HIV, this also reduces the number of low birth-weight babies, and allows for longer breast feeding, prevents unplanned pregnancies and abortion.
Maternal deaths leave infants motherless and poorly cared. So the widespread adoption of family planning could represent one of the most dramatic changes of the 20th century.
The growing use of contraception around the would has given couples the ability to choose the number of children to be born and their spacing ultimately this has had tremendous lifesaving benefits
Despite of all these impressive gains, contraceptive use is still low and the need for contraception is high in some of the world’s poorest and most populous countries.
It is estimated that one hundred and thirty five million women have an unmet need for family planning they are not using any methods, but it is reported that they want to avoid becoming pregnant.
Moreover, family planning could also be considered in the business aspect. One has to consider the fact that it provides the “best buy” among health investment.
This could be even more important in today’s financially strapped environment, as countries grapple with recession and search for better ways to stretch limited budgets.
Family planning stands out as one of the most cost –effective, and high yield interventions available, at an average supply cost of us $1.55 per user annually.
Other advantages are; it offers a safe, affordable, and effective ways for governments to reduce maternal and child illness and deaths, 88 percent as well as reducing national expenditures on reproductive health problems.
A lot of families in Africa spend the meager resources to manage their daily lives, at the household level, proper family planning means that now families can stretch their budgets further.
On the challenges of re-energizing family planning in sub Saharan Africa, many programs have languished in many countries over the last decade.
“This last decade has had devastating results; Sub Saharan Africa continues to grapple with the highest maternal death rates in the world” says the bureaus’ report.
It adds saying that women dying from pregnancy or childbirth, related cause are 1 in 22, and in Africa as a whole, the highest child death rates is -4.8 millions children annually.
Strange enough is the fact this is happening in a world of science and technology, where information is easily available everywhere.
Therefore family planning stands out as the most cost-effective health intervention in the developing world, various researches have indicated that relatively modest investments in family planning saves lives and improves maternal and child health
A new study on Bangladesh provides evidence that long term investment in an integrated family planning, maternal and child health, program contributed to improved economic security for families, households, and communities.
Through large incomes, greater accumulation of wealth, and higher levels of education the evidence indicate that family planning and maternal-child health services helps in reducing poverty, being the first goal of the millennium development goal.
On this, policy brief draws primarily on the research of Shareen Josh and Paul Schultz, who used the 1996 maternal laboratory health and socio-economic survey and census data collected in 1974, 1978 and 1982 to examine the effects of long-term investment in the maternal lab, in Bangladesh.
Their findings indicate that families in communities where the programme was implemented became wealthier and healthier than families who lived in other communities that were similar when the programme was begun.
However, within the first four years of the programme, some significant changes took place in the area; the percentage of married women using family planning had increased, women in those areas were having fewer children- and pregnancy- related deaths had dropped.
But the programme also contributed to unexpected results that improved community and household well- being, higher incomes, higher valued home, and greater access to water, in addition to better over all health.
According to the 1996 survey, the program villages were significantly better off, the results suggest that with fewer children families have higher incomes and more savings, helping them to attain a higher quality of life.