PRESIDENT Jakaya Kikwete has called for change of negative mindset on the adoption of Genetically Modified Organisms (GMOs) technology in the country.
The president, however, challenged scientists in the country to conduct research to establish the practicality of the technology to enable the government to act accordingly.
He said as long as there are no proven major negative impacts, he saw no logic in opposing the application of the technology as the government embarks on various plans to modernize agriculture and farming methods.
The president made the remarks when he visited Mikocheni Agricultural Research Institute in Dar es Salaam on Tuesday. Mr Kikwete also challenged the Ministry of Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives to open up employment opportunities for young scientists.
The Minister for Agriculture, Food Security and Cooperatives, Eng. Christopher Chiza, said that nothing could be achieved in agriculture without deploying biotechnology in the farming system. Earlier when briefing the delegates, the institute's head, Dr Joseph Ndunguru, said that it is mandated to conduct and promote research for the development of the coconut sub sector and tree crop-based farming and system along the coastal belt of Tanzania.
Meanwhile, only 51 per cent of women deliver their babies at the hands of officially registered midwives. The remaining 49 per cent give birth in homes posing a big challenge to the safe motherhood campaign. President Kikwete said this during a ceremony to mark the 60th anniversary of the Council of Nursing and Midwifery in Dar es Salaam.
He challenged the council to improve its effort in training more midwives and nurses as the government was also determined to make the council meet its mission of having more, competent and qualified health experts. The president said that in 2007 the government reviewed the previous health policy of 1990 and set down some work plans to be realized in ten years.
Some of the plans, according to Mr Kikwete, include increasing the number of health workers in the country, improving medical facilities and upgrading regional hospitals to referrals. The president was also shocked by the cases that have been reported in connection with academic certificate forgeries perpetrated by health workers.
"It is absurd that nowadays academic certificate forgeries are common even in the health sector. This must be addressed immediately," Mr Kikwete said. In his welcoming remarks, the Deputy Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Seif Rashid, said that when the council was formed 60 years ago there were only 266 registered midwives and nurses.
Dr Rashid said that only 77 workers were locals. The remaining 186 were foreigners. Currently, he said, the country has more than 31,000 midwives and nurses.
Dear Members,
ReplyDeleteFamilia ya TAFE inapenda kuchukua fursa hii kuwatakia Sikukuu njema ya Pasaka popote mulipo. Tukumbuke mateso ya Yesu na tujikabidhi mikononi mwake kwa toba huku tukijua nafasi zetu katika jamii na jinsi ya kuchukua hatua kupambana na Umaskini, Ujinga na maradhi.
Sisi Tanzania Farmers Empowerment, tunatarajia ushirikiano mzuri kati yenu na shirika katika kupambana na Njaa pamoja na Umaskini kama ilivyoelezwa pia katika Tamko la Milenia no.1 Kwa sasa TAFE inandaa mambo yafuatayo:
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Asanteni.
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