Zanzibar — CUBA : PRESIDENT Hussein Ali Mwinyi has asked Uganda to buy biolarvicides from Tanzania in a continued fight against diseases in the East African region.
Dr Mwinyi made the plea on Sunday when he met Ugandan Vice-President Jessica Alupo at the sideline of the G77+China summit in Havana, Cuba. The summit which started last Friday was officially concluded on Sunday.
The biolarvicides are produced in Tanzania Biotech Product Ltd plant located in Kibaha District, Coastal region.
It is a state-of-art Biolarvicides factory, which produces Griselesf (Bs) and Bactivec which are used to control Mosquito Vector Borne Diseases in Africa such as Malaria, Dengue and Zika among others. The factory started production in 2017.
At the meeting between Dr Mwinyi and the Ugandan Vice-President, there were also senior officers of the Ministry of Agriculture of Cuba, who provide expertise and technology to the Kibaha factory.
"Several African countries have benefited from the Biolarvicides from Kibaha, including Niger, Angola, Mozambique and Eswatini. Uganda as our neighbour should use it in an effort to control diseases in our region," Dr Mwinyi explained to Ms Alupo.
In response, the Vice President of Uganda showed interest in the product and explained that since his country is one of the countries affected by Malaria, it will consider using the product to eliminate deaths caused by malaria.
On behalf of the United Republic of Tanzania, President Mwinyi promised to supply Uganda with some amount of biolarvicides for free so as to have an experience of it before opening the business that may lead to control of mosquitoes that are spreading malaria and dengue, among others in the country.
Commenting, some Senior Officers from Cuba explained that they helped to bring the technology to Kibaha in Tanzania aimed at joining a global campaign against Malaria in Africa.
The talks were also attended by the Tanzania Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation Mr Steve Byabato and the Ambassador of Tanzania to Cuba, Mr Humphrey Polepole.
