Maputo — The Assembly of the Republic, the Mozambican Parliament, on Wednesday (26) passed, unanimously, the second reading of the draft resolution ratifying the African Cultural Renaissance Charter.
The main focus areas of the Charter include promotion of African identity, shared values, the spirit of Pan-Africanism and African Renaissance.
It also includes development of the creative economy of the continent; protection and conservation of African World Heritage Sites and increasing of African sites in the World Heritage List; development and continued dissemination of regional and continental programs for the promotion of African identity, shared values, cultural and creative industries and heritage
Mozambique's Culture and Tourism Minister, Eldevina Materula, explained that the Charter also seeks to 'combat and eliminate all forms of alienation, exclusion and cultural pressure in all parts of Africa and encourage cultural cooperation between member states to strengthen the unity of African nations, through the use of African languages, as well as encouraging dialogue between cultures".
According to the minister, the ratification of the Charter is in compliance with the provisions of Mozambique's Constitution and other legal instruments that determine the protection of tangible and intangible assets of the Mozambican cultural heritage.
Materula assures that Mozambique's accession to an international African mechanism for cultural promotion meets the aspirations of the government and of Mozambique, especially 'at a time when the culture sector is internationally recognised as a driver of inclusive and sustainable economic development, contributing to the reduction of social inequalities in Africa.
'The Charter will provide Mozambique with opportunities to develop practices and strategies that respond to the current challenges that the government faces in arts and culture, and also to agree and consolidate positions with other states,' she said.
Underlying the concept of African cultural renaissance is the recognition of culture as one of the main driving forces for achieving the vision of the African Union (AU) for the consolidation of peace, integration, democracy and sustainable development.
The Charter was first adopted in 1976 in Mauritius by the Heads of State and Government of the then Organisation of African Unity (OAU) and amended through a Protocol in 2006 in Sudan.
To date, 17 of the AU's 55 member states have ratified the document.
The parliament also passed the second reading, by consensus, the Bill revising the foreign exchange law and the law establishing the legal regime for bank accounts.
*921022E - TETE INAUGURATES PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY TO DEAL WITH ENDEMIC AND EPIDEMIC DISEASES*
Tete (Mozambique), 26 Oct (AIM) - Health authorities from Mozambican western province Tete are now able to deal with endemic, epidemic, infectious and emerging diseases, thanks to the inauguration of the first Public Health Laboratory, built from scratch in the capital, with capacity to process at least 400 samples a day.
Equipped with real-time PCR technology, the new laboratory was funded by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP).
"The infrastructure will allow the introduction, in Tete province, of specialised diagnosis of other relevant diseases, in the local and national epidemiological context, with emphasis on infectious, endemic, epidemiological and emerging diseases," explained Health Minister Armindo Tiago, speaking during the inauguration ceremony.
The new laboratory was also accompanied by investment in human capital in the fields of molecular biology, biosafety and bio-protection. Therefore, as of today Tete province now has more qualified human resources to carry out diagnostic purposes in public health, such as scientific research," Tiago said.
The minister added that the new laboratory is an important milestone in the strategy to expand laboratory diagnosis of diseases that threaten public health across the country.
"Timely identification of and rapid response to outbreaks, pandemics and epidemics depends on a network of laboratories with adequate infrastructure and with modern technology and qualified staff," he said.
He cited as an example the Covid-19 pandemic which showed that public health laboratories are fundamental in the readiness of countries, such as Mozambique, to face different types of health emergencies.
The Minister said that Tete was lucky because it ended up having one of the best public health laboratories in the country.
Tiago pointed out that "the features of this laboratory are different from those of Tete Provincial Hospital because it was designed to deal with health emergencies, such as outbreaks of diseases, epidemics and pandemics".
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"If there is a cholera outbreak this laboratory should be the first and in real time make a rapid diagnosis and notify the relevant parties," stressed the Minister.
Currently, there are public health laboratories operating in the provinces of Cabo Delgado, Nampula, Sofala and Inhambane.
He announced that next year public health laboratories will start operating in Niassa, Zambézia, Manica and Gaza provinces, thus covering the whole country.
Secretary of State, Elisa Zacarias expressed her gratitude in the name of Tete residents saying that the construction of the laboratory is a major achievement for the province.
"We would like to reaffirm our commitment to ensure full operation of the laboratory which will impart a new dynamic, aiming to meet the demand, as well as makeking it the best platform for development of new research, by offering quality services, with emphasis on Covid-19, among other emerging diseases", she stressed.
The UNDP representative in Mozambique, Alex Rodriguez, assured the continuity of support to the Mozambican Government to provide better conditions of public health to citizens.
