PRESS SUMMARIES-12 Feb 2014 National News Govt to vaccinate girls against cancer The government will this year start to vaccinate girls aged between 9 and 13 to protect them against Human Papillomavirus (HPV) which is associated with the development of cervical cancer. Health and Social Welfare Minister, Dr Seif Rashid disclosed this yesterday, saying that the vaccination was to be implemented last year but was thwarted by technical problems. The vaccination programme if implemented will open a new chapter in efforts by the country to prevent cancer cases. The minister said cervical cancer in the country accounts for 50 per cent of inpatient and outpatient cancer cases. He said of the reported 44,000 cancer patients annually, more than 35,000 die. He made the revelation shortly after the UN Permanent Representative to the United Nations and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Ambassador Joseph Masmanus visited the Ocean Road Institute (ORCI) to inspect the ongoing Nuclear Medicine Services and Radiotherapy Services. The minister argued the public to quit smoking habits, noting that 35 per cent of cancer cases result from smoking. ORCI receives over 500 cancer patients every year and with the increasing demand for services, at least eight radiation machines are needed. (All Media) TMA warns of possible floods The Tanzania Metrological Agency (TMA) has warned of week-long rains to be experienced in some parts of the country, which may cause floods especially in low-lying areas. In its weather outlook for ten days starting 11 to 20 February, this year, TMA indicated that a number of regions have started experiencing out of season rains that are expected to last a week, with possible calamities. The beureau reveals that Kilimanjaro, Arusha, Manyara, Dar es Salaam, Morogoro and Tanga regions are already receiving seasonal rains. The expected above normal rainfall over Mtwara, Lindi, Ruvuma, south of Morogoro and Njombe regions may cause excessive soil moisture conditions consequently impending crop development and farm management. (All Media) Fake AIDS testing kits irk patients People living with HIV/Aids have called upon the government to scrutinize closely the companies that have applied for the tender to supply HIV test kits countrywide, to make sure that only a genuine and reliable firm wins the tender. Speaking in Dar es Salaam yesterday, two brothers currently living with HIV/Aids said that they were among victims of the fake South Korean HIV test kits in 2012. Spokesperson from the Ministry of Health and Social Services said that the government was in the final stage to appoint reliable company that will soon start providing new rapid HIV test kits. Two years ago, the government announced the withdrawal of a South Korean HIV test kit from circulation, following warnings about its poor quality. In the same year WHO removed the Standard Diagnostics Bioline HIV Rapid Test Kit from its list of approved test kits with immediate effect. The alert was issues after Bioline failed quality assurance tests. (Habari Leo, Daily News, et al) Undercover reporter’s peep into ivory underworld Chinese TV reporter filmed ivory smugglers in Tanzania As Tanzania described the ivory smuggling accusation as malicious, British news channel ITV yesterday exposed how easy it is to buy illegal ivory in Tanzania, casting doubt on the government’s commitment to curb the slaughter of elephants in the country. A Chinese reporter posed as a potential buyer of illegal ivory and managed to expose how the business is conducted. With his small camera, the journalist entered in one of the market as a tourist, met with poachers and was offered any amount of ivory he wanted. This has raised a lot of questions to the world as to why security agencies in Tanzania have not use d methods like the one applied by ITV to arrest the culprits behind the thriving ivory trade. A particularly shocking report revealed recently that the giant Selous game reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that boasted 70,000 elephants five years ago, now has barely 13,000. At the present rate, Tanzania’s elephants will be extinct within seven years. (Mwananchi, The Citizen, Daily Mail, ITV-UK, et al) International News Algeria mourns dozens killed in military plane crash Algeria has begun three days of national mourning for the 77 people killed in a military passenger plane crash in the north-east of the country. Just one person survived when the Hercules C-130 crashed into a mountain in Oum al-Bouaghi province, en route to Constantine, in bad weather conditions. Most of the 78 passengers were military personnel and their family members. The lone survivor, a soldier, is reportedly being treated for head injuries at a military hospital in Constantine. Security sources and state media originally reported 103 people on board the flight, but the number was later revised down by the military to 78. Women and children were among the bodies recovered from the crash site. It is the worst plane crash in Algeria for more than 10 years and the third involving an Algerian military Hercules. An Air Algerie Boeing 737 crashed on take-off from Tamanrasset in 2003, killing all but one of the 103 people on board. (World Media) Syria aid mission stalls amid talks deadlock Peace talks between the Syrian government and opposition are not making much progress, the international mediator has acknowledged after a face-to-face meeting of the rival parties in Geneva. No supplies getting into besieged Homs as talks between regime and opposition in Geneva descend into recriminations. Negotiations intended to end Syrias three-year-old civil war began with a week-long session last month and have resumed this week in the Swiss city which hosts the UNs European headquarters. There had been hopes for Tuesdays talks after they began with a minutes silence for the 130,000 people killed since the conflict began. (Al Jazeera, et al)
Posted on: Wed, 12 Feb 2014 07:12:39 +0000
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