TANZANIA—Tanzania has reaffirmed its commitment to collaborating with the Cuban government on a large-scale vaccine production initiative, which will include manufacturing hepatitis antibodies.
This pledge was made by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa during his recent visit to Cuba, where he toured the LABIOFAM Factory and Research Centre, a facility known for producing a range of human, agricultural, and livestock products.
The Prime Minister’s two-day visit, accompanied by Tanzania’s Ambassador to Cuba, Humphrey Polepole, included high-level conversations with Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa, emphasizing the importance of this diplomatic mission.
These discussions focused on enhancing Tanzania and Cuba’s long-standing bilateral relationship, with a special emphasis on boosting collaboration in healthcare and pharmaceuticals.
The Prime Minister commended Cuba’s pharmaceutical industry, especially its advances in the development of herbal medicines, which he stated have decreased Cuba’s reliance on foreign drugs by 60%.
This accomplishment, he claimed, might serve as a model for Tanzania as it attempts to improve its pharmaceutical skills, with Prime Minister Majaliwa mentioning the involvement of the Kibaha Pesticide Plant, a subsidiary of the National Development Corporation.
Kibaha Pesticide Plant manufactures insecticides that are crucial for removing mosquito breeding grounds in Tanzania and other regions of Africa as part of the ongoing malaria struggle.
To solidify the collaboration, Prime Minister Majaliwa instructed Tanzania’s Ministry of Health to work closely with the Tanzanian Embassy in Havana to arrange additional discussions with Cuban health officials, pharmaceutical companies, and related institutions.
These talks aim to establish a framework for the importation of Cuban health commodities into Tanzania, contingent upon the necessary regulatory approvals.
He identified Cuban medications for treating rheumatoid arthritis and diabetic foot ulcers as areas of particular interest.
Moreover, during his visit, the Prime Minister toured the Ingeneria Genetica BioTecnologia (CIGB) Research Centre and Factory, a leading producer of medical and health products.
He also visited the Cárdenas Pharmaceutical Plant in the province of Matanzas, where he observed the integration of herbal medicine in pharmaceutical production.
The partnership between Tanzania and Cuba is not a recent development; the two nations have a rich history of collaboration across various sectors, including education, health, and culture.
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