VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

	VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT  Administrative Officer
The Tanzania Public Health Association (TPHA), on behalf of the Public Private Health Forum (PPHF) Tanzania, is inviting applications from qualified Tanzanians to fill the position of Administrative Officer (full-time) for the PPHF Resource Centre/Secretariat that will be hosted by TPHA. The PPHF is a platform to promote public-private sector engagement in the health sector in Tanzania. Main duties and Responsibilities:   Coordination and logistical support of PPHF approved activities  Administration and record keeping of activity and office budget (in cooperation with TPHA Treasurer)  Technical tasks include; document meetings, information sharing, report writing, supporting technical staff, etc. To be considered for this role you will be a dynamic, positive self-starter who is able to work autonomously, as well as in a team environment, and keep the daily operations of the Resource Centre/Secretariat running smoothly. Mentoring and support will be provided by TPHA. Required Qualifications:        University Degree in business administration (at least BA or similar)         Minimum two years working experience in a similar position         Basic knowledge of financial record keeping         Good computer skills         Language skills: written/verbally fluent in Kiswahili and English. The Successful candidate will be initially appointed on a one year contract (renewable) on mutual agreement. He/She will be accountable to the PPHF Executive Board and answerable to the TPHA Executive Secretary on the day-to-day activities.  An attractive salary negotiable based on qualification and experience will be paid. Interested applicants should forward their CV with copies of relevant certificates, including names and contact details (address, phone & e-mail) for three reputable referees. All applications should be submitted to reach the undersigned on or before the 21st July, 2016. Executive Secretary, Tanzania Public Health Association, P.O. Box 7785, Dar es Salaam. Email: tpha1980@yahoo.com

We need lifestyle changes in order to combat cancer

'We can. I can.' is the tagline for the 2016 World Cancer  Day that is held on February 4, every year. In marking the 10th anniversary of the global awareness campaign, the aim this year is to prove that every single person can make a difference in the fight against cancer.

 

World Cancer Day is part of the World Cancer Campaign, adopted following the World Summit Against Cancer for the New Millennium. This summit took place on 4 February 2000, and subsequently the first ever World Cancer Day was pencilled in for 4 February 2006. That tradition has continued every year, and the custom does not stop in 2016.

 

In marking the World Cancer Day, the Ministry   of Health, Community Development, Gender, Seniors and Children, has organised free cancer screening at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI in Dar es Salaam. The testing focuses on breast cancer, cervical cancer, prostate cancer and skin cancer especially for people with albinism.

 

Statistics from International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) report that there are 14.1 million new cancer cases annually and more than 8.2 million people die each year.

MORE than 40,000 people have been diagnosed with various types of cancer in the country and only 10 per cent of the victims have started medication at Ocean Road Cancer Institute (ORCI) in Dar es Salaam.

 

Among those screened at ORCI, results indicate that 80 per cent were in advanced stage three or four of the killer disease which make treatment difficult.

 

The discouraging situation was availed by the Permanent Secretary( PS) in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Dr Ulusubisya Mpoki when he read a statistical report on the disease prior to marking Cancer Day today.

 

Dr Mpoki underscored the importance for people to check up their health regularly so that once the disease is detected people could begin medication at early stages.

 

According to him, the common leading types of cancer for male in Tanzania is skin, throat, prostate and lymphoma cancers while female population is highly attacked with cervical, skin, breast and throat cancers.

 

The government continues with its commitment on prevention for non contagious diseases and a major focus on cancer though challenged with limited budget and technology, which frustrates our efforts.

 

According to the ministry plans to have cancer centres and facilities for testing and treatment all over Tanzania are at various stages where by constructions are in progress at Mbeya, KCMC Kilimanjaro, Ocean Road Dar es Salaam while at Bugando, Mwanza construction is completed. 

 

We therefore urge the involvement of various stakeholders such as donors, researchers, international companies and NGOs in order to educate, enlighten and invest on treatment of cancer.

 

According to reports cancer can result from one or more causes that may include life style, radiation, genes heritage, infections or any other unknown reasons.  We need to change our life style, engage in physical exercise and observe balanced diet in order to combat cancer.SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Eliminate FGM by 2030, say UNFPA, UNICEF

The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) have teamed up in campaigning against female genital mutilation (FGM), calling for concerted efforts to end the barbaric practice. 

 

UNFPA Executive Director, Dr Babatunde Osotimehin, and UNICEF Executive Director, Anthony Lake, made their joint statement during the 2016 International Day of Zero Tolerance for Female Genital Mutilation.

 

“All of us must join in this call. There simply is no place for FGM in the future we are striving to create –  a future where every girl will grow up able to experience her inherent dignity, human rights and equality by 2030,” UNFPA and UNICEF  said in a statement.

 

They described the vice as a violent practice, scarring girls for life -- endangering their health, depriving them of their rights, and denying them the chance to reach their full potential.

  

 “FGM is widespread.  It is a global problem that goes well beyond Africa and the Middle East, where the practice has been most prevalent -- affecting communities in Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.  And the number of girls and women at risk will only get larger if current population trends continue, wiping out hard-won gains,” they said in a statement.

 

 “FGM is discrimination.  It both reflects and reinforces the discrimination against women and girls, perpetuating a vicious cycle that is detrimental to development and to our progress as a human family.” 

 

 They said: “FGM must end”. 

In September at the United Nations Sustainable Development Summit, 193 states unanimously agreed to a new global target of eliminating FGM by 2030.  “This recognition that FGM is a global concern is a critical milestone.”

 

“But the recognition, while important, is not enough.  To protect the well-being and dignity of every girl, we need to take responsibility as a global community for ending FGM.” 

 

“That means we need to learn more -- improving our data collection to measure the full extent of the practice -- and do more. We need to encourage more communities and families to abandon FGM.  We need to work with larger numbers of medical communities -- including traditional and medical professionals -- persuading them to refuse to perform or support FGM.  We need to support more women and girls who have undergone the harmful practice and provide them with services and help to overcome the trauma they have suffered. And we need to support and empower girls around the world to make their voices heard and call out to put an end to FGM.”  

 

 UNFPA works to deliver a world where every pregnancy is wanted, every childbirth is safe and every young person’s potential is fulfilled. 

 UNICEF promotes the rights and well-being of every child, in everything we do. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

Vegetable consumers may be exposed to health risks

TANZANIANS living in major cities and towns who consume vegetables grown in urban gardens are exposed to health risks including incurable diseases, health protection authorities have warned.

 

It is a normal practice for a new wave of city-based horticulture ‘entrepreneurs’ to water their gardens using just any liquid, including chemical spills from factories and sewerage from settlements hence feeding their consumers hazardous contaminants, they noted.

 

Since many vegetable consumers adhere to ‘just boil a little’ advice from nutritionists, inorganic compounds from industries find their way into consumers’ bodies in one hand while uncooked vegetable sandwiches and salads also allow sewerage bacteria into eaters’ stomachs on the other, they revealed.

 

Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) Manager in-charge of Food Risk Analysis, Candida Shirima told ‘The Guardian’ last week that contamination of vegetables with chemicals such as heavy metals or pesticides residues at levels above tolerated limits compromise safety of vegetables and therefore predispose consumers to health effects such as cancer, kidney failure and impairment of cognitive function in children. 

 

She said that the possible food safety hazards in vegetables grown in urban areas is contamination with chemicals such as heavy metals, which is caused by cultivation of vegetables in contaminated environment be it soil, air or water.

 

That leads to a question all vegetable lovers must ask; how safe is the environment—soil, air and water—in which your favourite veggies are grown in the city?

 

In many urban gardens especially in Dar es Salaam, it is common practice for the ‘entrepreneurs’ to use spills from factories or homes to water their gardens, most of which are strategically located along streams that flow waste water.

 

Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre’s Research Officer for Nutrition Training Walbert Mgeni said that   vegetables irrigated with sewerage and wastewater from factories pose health risks to consumers because they contain dangerous chemicals and bacteria.

 

He said that organic and inorganic contaminants on vegetables are dangerous to people’s health because not all of them can be destroyed through cooking. 

 

 “Organic compounds such as bacteria found in vegetables can be destroyed by cooking for a long time but chemicals which include heavy metals remain in vegetables and get into the body,” he said.

 

He said consumers of vegetables grown in urban gardens are at risk either way—if you cook it too much, you kill organic bacteria and the much-needed nutrients but metals remain, yet if you don’t cook, you get nutrients plus organic bacteria.

 

Mgeni said that consumption of such chemicals may result into health hazards such as cancer and other related diseases.

 

He said the only way to preserve nutrients in vegetables is to cultivate them in hygienic environment and irrigate them with clean water, which is not possible to achieve in city gardens.

 

Cultivation of vegetables in unhygienic environment such as use of sewage water may cause contamination of vegetables with pathogenic microorganisms, which may cause food borne disease especially when contaminated vegetables are eaten raw such as salads, Shirima said. 

 

She said that assurance of safety of vegetables is a daunting task since it is a cross-cutting issue that requires involvement of various sectors such as agriculture, environment, health as well as consumers. 

 

For example educating the farmers on good agricultural practices to avoid cultivation of vegetables in contaminated environment is done by agriculture sector while assurance of proper disposal of waste water from industries and household is done by the sector responsible for environment. 

 

She called upon the vegetable growers to observe good agricultural practices and avoid cultivation of vegetables in contaminated and unhygienic environment in order to avoid any possible contamination of vegetables with health risky contaminants such as heavy metals or pathogenic microorganisms and ensure proper application of pesticides to avoid pesticide residues in vegetables. 

 

Last month, scientists in Kenya sounded alarm over the safety of a number of foods sold in the country’s capital city, Nairobi, including a range of fruits such as bananas and apples, and vegetables especially kale, a staple popularly known as sukuma wiki. Others were milk and poultry.

 

The scientists said that the foods could be laced with toxic chemicals, reported the country’s daily papers.

 

“Tests on samples of foods in markets and supermarkets have shown dangerous levels of toxins like calcium carbide, hydrogen peroxide, polychlorinated biphenyl-laden transformer oil, formalin and lead,” the paper quoted public health experts and medical practitioners as saying, noting that the chemicals were responsible for a litany of ailments and complications.

 

French fries, popularly known as chips, and mandazi made in various estates of Nairobi were found to have transformer oil. The oil can be used for a long time without getting contaminated and thus saving vendors as much as 40 per cent of costs, Kenyan press eported.SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN

We have no choice over use of polluted water, say Dar vegetable farmers

VEGETABLE farmers in Dar es Salaam have admitted to using water believed to be highly polluted to irrigate their gardens, saying they have no access to clean water.

 

A cross-section of city-based farmers interviewed by The Guardian yesterday said they have now resorted to random spills from homes and factories to irrigate their plots of land not out of choice, but of necessity. 

 

They emphasized that if clean water, piped or from wells, was conveniently available, they would use that instead.

 

Yesterday, this paper ran a front-page story in which national health protection authorities warned that people living in major cities and towns, who consume vegetables grown in urban gardens, were exposed to health risks including incurable diseases.

 

In the alert, both the Tanzania Food and Drugs Authority (TFDA) and Tanzania Food and Nutrition Centre said that because of the use of polluted water to water edible crops, inorganic compounds from industries were more likely to find their way into consumers’ bodies. At the same time, uncooked vegetable sandwiches and salads also allow sewerage bacteria into eaters’ stomachs, increasing the risk of illnesses such as cancer, kidney failure, and impaired cognitive function in children.

 

But in their responses, the farmers said they found themselves caught between a rock and a hard place: either to water their gardens with whatever is available - namely polluted water - or stay jobless. Practically all of them said they chose the latter.

 

According to Edward Melikioni, who has been growing veggies in Msimbazi Valley, Kigogo in the city since 1991, he and his colleagues have diverted a channel that flows sewerage water from Buguruni into their gardens “for the sake of convenience.”

 

“It’s not what we want to do or like to do. It’s what we have to do,” said a visibly peeved Melikioni when asked about the possible health repercussions from their action.

 

“We have no access to safe water from taps or wells, despite the fact that politicians have repeatedly promised that they would construct wells for us vegetable farmers,” he added. “So far that hasn’t happened.”

 

Another farmer, Lucia Amandusi, also pushed the blame on the government, saying she previously used clean river water obtained from the Msimbazi River before it was polluted by industrial and domestic waste spills.

 

Lucia has been practicing vegetable farming in the area for the past 45 years and says since this is the only work she has even known, she will have to continue even though she knows the water in the river is no longer anywhere near pure.

 

 “So far my farming activity has helped me build a house and educate my child up to college level,” she said, adding that  to stop now is not an option.

 

Oscar Abdul lamented that despite the crucial role played by farmers like himself of supplying city residents with much-needed vegetables, authorities had turned a blind eye to their plight by failing to provide them with clean and safe water for their gardens. 

 

“We now have to depend on the water that flows from Buguruni for irrigation, since we were stopped from using water from Msimbazi river which was declared unsafe after being polluted with chemicals from factories,” he explained.

 

Yet another farmer, Mande Christian, maintained that if their activities do indeed pose a health threat to consumers, they as farmers cannot be blamed because they are just trying to make ends meet while it is up to the authorities to ensure that they work in a safe and conducive environment.

 

“We solely depend on this work for our livelihoods…if it is condemned, we will become jobless and our families will suffer,” said Mande.

 

Mandela Pius, a farmer in the city’s Tazara area, said they would be happy to have access to clean water and were willing to pay for it as long as they are not made jobless.

 

The Kinondoni municipal information officer, Sebastian Mhowela, said according to the Dar es Salaam City Master Plan of 1976, only one area is designated for farming activities within the municipality - Mpiji valley, which runs along the borders with Kibaha and Bagamoyo districts in Coast Region. 

 

All other farming activities in the city are conducted on either private land that the municipal authorities cannot interfere with, or open spaces, Mhowela said. 

In her warning, TFDA manager in-charge of Food Risk Analysis, Candida Shirima, said the contamination of vegetables with chemicals such as heavy metals or pesticides residues at levels above tolerated severely compromised their safety and fitness for human consumption.

 

Meanwhile, TFNC research officer for nutrition training, Walbert Mgeni, said: “Organic compounds such as bacteria found in vegetables can be destroyed by cooking for a long time, but chemicals which include heavy metals remain in vegetables and can find their way into people’s bodies.”SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN