Regional Commission for Arusha, Hon. Isidori Shirima,
NIMR Council Chairman, Prof. Samuel Maselle,
Former NIMR Council Chairman, Prof. Aloysius Nhonoli,
Former NIMR Director General and Managing Trustee of AMANET, Prof. Wenceslaus Kilama,
Directors in the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and its Institutes,
Director General of the Commission for Science and Technology,
Chairman, Tanzania Health Research Forum,
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
May I first of all take this opportunity to welcome you all to Arusha. For the participants coming from outside Tanzania, I wish to extend a cordial Karibu Sana Tanzania, the land of Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar. In particular I welcome you to the beautiful City of Arusha which is sometimes called the Geneva of Africa.
You may recall that Arusha City is surrounded by a number of beautiful sites and tourist attractions. These include, among others, Mt. Kilimanjaro, the Great Serengeti Plains, the Ngorongoro Crater, the Manyara National Park with its beautiful Lake Manyara, the Tarangire National Park, and the Olduvai Gorge referred to as the Cradle of mankind. In addition a short one hour flight will take you to the Spice Islands of Zanzibar. Tanzania has everything to offer to answer to your particular taste. May I therefore urge you to spare time visiting the named sites and attractions during the few days you will be here. As you may have noted, the weather around this City is very much accommodative to your daily chores. You may also note that, its centricity to Cairo (Egypt) and Cape Town (South Africa) has influenced the existing unique climate characteristics that tourists cannot resist.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
I feel specially honoured to be with you today here in Arusha, to officiate the opening of the 24th Annual Joint Scientific Conference of the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR) that goes concurrently with the 30th Anniversary of the National Institute for Medical Research. I wish to recognize this invitation with profound interest as it opens doors for discussing the Conference theme, “Impact of Global Financial and Economic Crisis on Health in Developing Countries, a current challenge to the world economy.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
It is hard to see your way through a storm when you are in the middle of one. Such is the predicament of the global health community, as we sort out what the financial crisis will mean for the health of poor people in developing countries months – even years- from now. I would venture to state that none of us knows for certain the extent of this crisis, but certainly most would agree that the impact will be substantial as well as negative. Here I would like to quote Liliana Rojas-Suarez, senior fellow at Center for Global Development (CGD) and an expert in financial markets, who said, and I quote “After wars, plagues and natural disasters, financial crises kill the poor the most,” As we strive to adapt to the prevailing situation, we nedd also to take measures designed to mitigate the damage (such as expanding and developing safety nets)., but the main task is to get more health for every dollar realized.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
The Global Financial and Economic Crisis is a cross cutting issue that impacts upon almost every sector of the economy particularly health. In this regard, I strongly congratulate the Organizers of this conference for bringing about this subject as the theme of the conference. I believe the conference will avail you the opportunity to discuss and to ascertain the level of impact of the crisis on health and thereby create awareness as to the measures to be adopted as tools to circumvent the crisis in future. I acknowledge that exactly because of its cross cutting effect on every facet of our lives that it is a difficult issue to discuss but one which we must consider if we indeed need to ensure the sustainability of health research during these troubled times.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
It is a common phenomenon for poor countries to rely on donor assistance to supplement domestic resources for essential services such as primary education, immunization and other disease control strategies. Subsequently, a shortfall in Official Development Assistance (ODA) could have very big repercussions. In many sub-Saharan African countries, for instance, close to half of all basic health sector funding comes from development assistance, and donors buy the vast majority of vaccines for many poor countries. Hence, if this development assistance decreases – especially during a period of global economic contraction like we are currently experiencing, it means that these services are likely to get disrupted with an immediate negative impact on those in greatest need.
But, what about other types of external support for health, such as the funding generated on the capital markets–for research and development and specific health programmes? Madam Chairperson and Dear Participants, the answer is definitely clear! The financial crisis will mean increased competition for research funds and so reducing funding for the both public and private health institutions.
Madam Chairpersons, Distinguished Participants
Against, this background, it would be interesting to see if we can turn to philanthropy to fill the gap, should we? Possibly. Against the backdrop of the crisis, in September 2008, $16 billion was pledged to fight poverty at the United Nations Summit of world leaders when they were reviewing progress on achieving the Millennium Development Goals. But some Foundations depended on the now-defunct hedge funds for contributions and/or which invested in the shakier parts of the stock market; these are likely to face a sharp decline in their assets. This makes it doubtful that they will embark on new initiatives that they might have otherwise considered. As you may be aware, grant making is also likely to decrease considerably from this economic quagmire facing the developing countries. Similarly, individuals who give to charities involved in overseas relief and development–whose collective giving is significant (according to the Hudson Institute, in 2006, the United States gave $34.8 billion in private philanthropy) – are also likely to have less to give away this year and next.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
What about health programmes at risk following this crisis? Definitely, it will be difficult for donors to pull back from certain commitments, such as funding for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis, because cutting funding would most certainly force people off life-extending treatment and control. For example, the Lantos-Hyde U.S. Global Leadership Against HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria Reauthorization Act of 2008 sets bold targets and authorizes America's share of the resources needed to turn back these infectious killers. The legislation authorizes $48 billion to be spent during the next five years to prevent and treat AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria, with AIDS accounting for $39 billion of the total. The expenditures would dwarf the $15 billion spent over the previous five years as part of Bush's emergency anti-AIDS efforts.
Resources for prevention have always been scarcer and it’s unlikely they will increase considering the enormous (and expanding) cost of treatment, given that it is harder to measure prevention successes.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants,
There are other health priorities that will likely struggle for support in economic hard times (and for which little funding currently exists), such as building the capacity of health systems in developing countries, and preventing maternal mortality, which is the leading cause of mortality globally among adult women of reproductive age. And little can be expected in the area of chronic diseases even though the toll of cardiovascular disease, hypertension, diabetes and cancer outweighs that of infectious disease in nearly every region of the world.
Far more important than whether aid dollars rise or fall is the potential impact of the financial crisis on the fiscal positions of developing countries. The forecast is not encouraging. Slowed growth in emerging economies may dampen demand for imports, contributing to a drop in the prices of commodities. Developing countries are generally seen as risky borrowers, so when markets are jittery and lending is cut back, they lose more than most. Developing country budgets, therefore, are likely to be strained. And in times of austerity, health spending will be especially vulnerable.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants,
Changes in both public and private expenditures could have a significant negative impact on the health of the poor in developing countries. The effects of economic shocks on health vary and can be ambiguous, but a new World Bank study analyzing the effects of economic shocks on child schooling and health shows that, “recessions, droughts and other economic downturns tend to have negative effects on both health and education outcomes for children in poor countries.” We have seen this happen before. A study by Christina Paxon of Princeton University and Norbert Schady of the World Bank analyzed the impact of a crisis in Peru in the late 1980s on infant mortality. They showed that there was an increase in the infant mortality rate of about 2.5 percentage points for children born during the crisis, implying that about 17,000 more children died than would have in the absence of the crisis. They suggest that the collapse in public and private expenditures on health played an important role.
In yet another example, a severe economic crisis in Argentina in 2001 led to drug shortages that prompted the government to import 21,000 doses of HIV drugs to be distributed in hospitals as an emergency measure, along with insulin from Brazil and over-the-counter drugs from Spain and Italy. At the same time, World Bank loans intended to support health sector reform were diverted to procure vaccines so that the country could maintain its immunization program. Health insurance and social security schemes faced severe financial difficulties while many bank accounts were frozen, leaving people with limited access to cash.
And the 1997 Asian currency crisis, which caused severe economic damage across much of East and Southeast Asia, had a negative impact on public health in Indonesia. Data from the World Health Organization show an almost 25 percent decline in immunization coverage rates between 1995 and 1999. Expenditures by individuals on primary care from 1996/97 to 1999/2000 were reduced by 20 percent, and government spending was cut by 25 percent. Between 1997 and 1999, the use of health care services by poor children dropped by about 17 percent, compared with 8 percent in children from wealthier settings.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
So what is the global health community going to do in the wake of this economic quagmire? I presume, in the short-term, we must consider the potential reorientation of aid funds toward helping countries create viable safety nets in order to reach people who are made extremely vulnerable by shocks. According to the IMF, 56 countries reported targeted cash transfer programs for 2008, but only 39 had expanded their programs in response to fuel and food price increases. Over the long-term, I believe, more emphasis should be placed on monitoring donors’ financial contributions to global health and making it visible when they shirk earlier commitments.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
The field of global health is crowded with populist promises that often go unrealized, but good results depend on the predictability and reliability of resources. Hence, strong advocacy for more sustained health assistance should continue and with full vigour. Indeed, the argument for investment in health is well, clear and compelling because, good health improves labour productivity, facilitates learning, and contributes to economic growth and poverty reduction. And most fundamentally, donors must ensure that aid funds reach the poorest, and that money translates into improved health and productivity.
As Ruth Levine, vice president and senior fellow of the Centre for Global Development put it, and I quote, “Like a hurricane, a financial crisis reminds us of how vulnerable we are, and how the most vulnerable are the least well protected”. Consequently, it is time to think about development assistance, not as a luxury to pursue when times are good, but as a powerful stabilizer when times are tough. The poorest need our help now more than ever.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
It is evident that all countries will be affected by the crisis but some will be affected more than others. Consequently, the world risks the most serious economic downturn since the 1930s. The impact of earlier increases in the cost of food and fuel are estimated to have tipped more than 100 million people back into poverty. The challenge facing the world now is to prevent an economic crisis becoming a social and a health crisis.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished participants
Going back to history, you will note that earlier crises in the 1980s and 1990s started in developing countries. However, in the current case, the crisis began in the industrialized world. It may therefore be possible that the full effects of the crisis have yet to be manifested in developing countries. At the same time, for the many low-income countries that have been facing chronic financial shortages, hardship is not new anyway. A grave human crisis is already happening. The problem is that their situation may get even worse as they are affected by the downturn, and through causes which are not of their own making.
Be informed that, under these circumstances, some countries are at particular risk. These include developed countries that have required emergency assistance from the International Monetary Fund, where spending restrictions may be imposed during loan repayment. Many developing countries are in a far better fiscal position than they were in earlier crises, and most will continue on a path of economic growth, albeit at a slower rate. However, those that depend heavily on donor funding in health and other socio-economic aspects, risk facing a decline in aid receipts as well. Likewise, populations in those countries affected by or emerging from conflict, with few financial reserves, weak institutions and damaged infrastructure, are especially vulnerable. For the countries in high- or low-income categories, however, it is the poor– and those made poor through loss of income or housing – that will be hardest hit.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
Ladies and Gentlemen, I believe that, this Conference which has brought together researchers, policy and decision makers, academicians, media and development partners will act as a pivotal to discuss this subject exhaustively and identify ways of improving performance of health care delivery and advise governments on more sustainable measures for circumventing the crisis in future.
Madam Chair, Distinguished participants,
As I come to the close of my remarks, I would like to underline the following facts :
· Most of the developing world depends on donor support to sustain their health development activities. The current financial downturn originated from the donor countries. We should therefore brace for reduced donor funding
· In attempts to redress a situation like this governments tend to assign a low priority to health, measures designed to revamp the economy tend to attract more emphasis
· It goes without saying that the health community needs to realign its programmes and priorities so as to adapt to the prevailing economic hardships
· We need to be more innovative so that we can come up alternative sources of funding
· There is a greater need now for more accountability of the meagre resources available
· We certainly need more money for health, but we need more health for the money.
Madam Chairperson, Distinguished Participants
Besides the conference, I am reliably informed that 2010 marks the NIMR’s 30th anniversary, Congratulations. As with any anniversary commemoration, but especially an observance of three decades, it’s a special opportunity to look back at accomplishments and challenges. It is important to understand what has occurred since the Institute was established in 1980. What has been remarkable for NIMR, for our country, and for the world?
The essence of our nation, and at the heart NIMR’s work, is “a Tanzania where people enjoy quality health and well-being.” All of NIMR’s efforts for the past 30 years are predicated on how human well-being are improved and enhanced, and they will remain the foundation of the work that you will energetically undertake in the years and decades ahead. The government of Tanzania is in support of the implementation of your innovative programmes so as to attain the Institute’s mission of “Conducting, Coordinating, Regulating and Promoting scientifically and ethically sound, high quality health research in order to deliver evidence-based information that is responsive to the broader needs of the Tanzanian community”
With these few remarks, I wish to declare officially opened the 24th NIMR Annual Joint Scientific Conference with a theme “Impact of Global Financial and Economic Crisis on Health in Developing countries” which also marks the celebration of 30th anniversary inauguration.
Dr. Mwele Malecela gives her introductory remarks
Introductory remarks made by Dr Mwele Malecela, Acting Director General , NIMR at the opening of NIMR 24th Annual Joint Scientific Conference, Arusha 15th March 2010
Guest of Honour, Prof. David Homeli Mwakyusa (MP), Minister for Health and Social Welfare,
Representative of the PS and Director of Human Resources in the Ministry of Health and Social welfare, Dr Gilbert Mliga,
NIMR Council Chairman, Professor Samuel Masele,
Former NIMR Council Chairmen, Dr. Eyakuze ,
Former NIMR Director General, Professor Wenceslaus Kilama,
Ministry of Health Directors
NIMR Centre Directors,
Distinguished Guests,
Participants,
Ladies and Gentlemen
I feel greatly honoured and I am pleased to welcome you all to the 24th Annual Joint Scientific Conference of the National Institute for Medical Research with the theme “The Impact pf Global Financial and Economic Crisis on Health in Developing Countries” with a symposium on male circumcision and HIV prevention. The conference also marks the launching of the 30th anniversary of NIMR which will be culminated in October 2010.
First of all, I am very grateful to you Minister for your acceptance to be with us today in spite of your heavy schedule. To us, this signifies highest recognition by the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, of the value of health research in National Health Development.
May I also, take this opportunity to welcome the newly appointed NIMR Council Chairman and all his team members to NIMR. On behalf of the National Institute for Medical Research, and on my own behalf, I congratulate you all for your appointment and welcome you to NIMR. It is my belief that under your guidance and experience in the health sector our institute will sail through challenges posed by the financial and economic crisis currently sweeping across the world and brings the required changes in the health status of the Tanzanian population. We at NIMR are looking forward to working under your direction and mentroship, and are prepared to give full cooperation to bring the desired changes.
I wish to welcome our colleagues who have travelled from outside Tanzania for the conference and I kindly ask you to spend your spare time to visit the various tourism attractions surrounding the Arusha City.
The theme for this year’s conference aims at sharing experience with various stakeholders on ways the economic downturn might have affect health spending, health services, health seeking behaviour and health outcomes and to set the way forward in mitigating its impacts.
The global financial crisis, brewing for a while, really started to show its effects in the middle of 2007 and into 2008. Around the world stock markets have fallen, large financial institutions have collapsed or been bought out, and governments in even the wealthiest nations have had to come up with rescue packages to bail out their financial systems. There is a clear indication that as the global economic crisis continues to unfold, concern is growing over maintaining funding for health services in developing countries that rely on foreign aid to provide necessary treatments. This means that the global recession will affect the livelihoods of almost everyone in an increasingly inter-connected world hence, is likely to damage our health as well as our socio-economic development. The socio-economic features of society are closely linked to the distribution of health. Both the economic and social determinants of health will be influenced by the economic and financial crisis. The crisis therefore represents a major threat for both health and socio-economic protection systems. For example the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, a financing institution that invests donor countries' money in health programs to battle the three diseases, announced in February 2009 that it is facing a $5 billion dollar funding gap through 2010. In general it is anticipated that the economic crisis will force more families to rely on publicly financed care, or neglect preventative care entirely.
We are looking forward to your participation and hope that this occasion will offer the opportunity for forging new collaborations while strengthening the existing ones.
With these few remarks I now wish to request NIMR Council Chairman, Professor Samuel Masele, to welcome our Guest of Honour, Hon Prof. David Mwakyusa, to officially open the twenty fourth Annual Joint Scientific Conference.
Prof. David Homeli Mwakyusa (left, centre) visits exhibitions on display at the Conference in the company of Prof. Samuel Masele and Dr. Mwele Malecela. All photos by Dixon Busagaga of Globu ya Jamii.
WELCOME REMARKS BY THE NIMR COUNCIL CHAIRMAN PROF. SAMUEL MASELLE ON 15TH MARCH 2010
Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Hon. Prof. David H. Mwakyusa (MP),
NIMR Acting Director General, Dr. Mwele Malecela
Former NIMR Council Chairman, Prof. Aloysius M. Nhonoli,
Former NIMR Council Chairman, Prof. Fred Mhalu,
Former NIMR Director General, and Managing Trustee AMANET Prof. Wenceslaus Kilama,
Former NIMR Director General, Dr Andrew Y Kitua,
Chairman of the TANHER Forum, Prof. Joseph K Shija,
Directors of the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare
Directors of the National Institute for Medical Research
Distinguished Guests,
Ladies and Gentlemen
On behalf of the NIMR Council and on my own behalf, I wish to welcome you all to the 24th Annual Joint Scientific Conference of the National Institute for Medical Research and 30th Anniversary celebrations.
Honorable Minister, I wish to convey my sincere thanks to you for the support you have rendered to the Institute from the day you were entrusted to lead Ministry of Health and Social Welfare. NIMR Council wishes to thank you for the commitment you have shown to the new team of the Council, which brings together an excellent combination of expertise from various institutions. I believe that this diversity will add value to the council’s role of guiding the institute and providing strategic direction during the next triennium.
Honourable Minister, the Institute has and will continue to rely on Government support to undertake research work despite the fluctuating trends. The invaluable support that the institute receives in the form of personnel emoluments and other charges is significant and should not be overlooked. However, I am glad that NIMR scientists have gone out and sourced for grants that have kept the institute active in research throughout the years, making it the most renowned institute of health research in the country. On this note I would like to caution Honourable Minister that “he who pays the piper chooses the tune”. There is a danger therefore, that priority research may fall through the cracks because may not be of interest to the donors or research collaborators. It is important that government funding dedicated to research is increased and made available so that the research can truly be by “Tanzanians for Tanzanians”. I thus urge the ministry to continue to ensure that funds are made available to deal with priority areas. I commend the Ministry for establishing The Health Research Users Trust Fund a fund which focuses on priority areas however the funding allocated to it does not allow for major research undertakings. Having said this let me applaud the President of the United Republic of Tanzania for committing 1% GDP to research. This is commendable as research is truly the key to development and knowledge-based economy.
Several areas that NIMR has worked on have found their way into policy and practice and this is highly commendable. Let me just highlight a few
(i) Change in the first line antimalarial drug from Chloroquine to Sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) and from SP to Artemisinin-based drug combination therapy (ACT
(ii) Use of Insecticide Treated bed nets
(iii) Wide use of Ivermectin and Albendazole for elimination of lymphatic filariasis
(iv) Syndromic management of Sexually Transmitted Diseases
Honourable Minister, this output over the years is a clear testimony of good quality work and accountability of the institute and its staff in research activities. Therefore, the challenge ahead of us is to maintain this quality while expanding the scope to deal with other health problems not dealt with in the past. A case in point is the need for a reinvigorated focus on Non Communicable Diseases.
Honourable Minster, it is now my sincere desire along with my fellow councillors to assure you of our highest consideration and commitment to work with full zeal, vigour and strength to realise the set goals of the institute in research that will eventually contribute to the success of the Ministry in fighting disease in the community.
Honourable Minister, I trust and stay assured that your Ministry will continue supporting the Institute in its research endeavours, and on behalf of the Institute I wish to assure you that I will provide my necessary cooperation to your Ministry in minimizing health burden, minimization of poverty and promoting income in the community during my tenure of office with NIMR Council..
I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate my warm welcome to you all to this conference and wish fruitful deliberations.
THANKS FOR YOUR ATTENTION
hivi misupu kwa taarifa yako unafikiri nani atasoma hilo gazeti lote hapo????????
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Ankal Michuzi,
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Ni maoni tu Ankal ili kuboresha hii Globu ya jamii.
Mdau Newala.
safi sana dada mwele. hongera sana
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