TZ eyes own Covid vaccine

TANZANIA envisages establishing a plant for manufacturing COVID-19 vaccines. The move is part of wider plans to tackle the pandemic and other diseases in the region, President Samia Suluhu Hassan said on Tuesday.

She told the European Council President, Mr. Charles Michel, in Brussels, Belgium that Tanzania aims to become a future exporter of life-saving vaccines to East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) partner states.

The president, who is on an official visit to Belgium at the invitation of Mr. Michel, said Tanzania, will likely spend up to 216bn/- by the year 2030, to import vaccines, underlying the importance of building local manufacturing capacity.

"Tanzania wishes to submit a proposal on the same and I'm looking forward for facilitation of this idea into a fruitful project. I trust this plan, when implemented, will open new avenues to deepen our ties," she said.

Meanwhile, President Samia called upon the European Union (EU) to continue supporting the Burundi government, saying the EU has a pivotal role to play in the neighbouring country's stability and development.

"A stable Burundi is good for the Great Lakes Region, good for the EU and good for the world," she said.

Since establishment of official cooperation with the EU in 1975, Tanzania has received development assistance worth more than 2.3 billion euros equivalent to 5.98tri/-. The EU remains one of Tanzania's most strategic and reliable development partners to date.

President Samia arrived in Brussels, Belgium on Monday from Paris, France; ahead the sixth European Union (EU)- African Union (AU) summit to be held for two days starting tomorrow and slated to end on Friday.

The summit, leaders of the EU and AU as well as their respective member states will meet and discuss how both continents can build greater prosperity.

The aim is to launch an ambitious Africa-Europe Investment Package, taking into account global challenges such as climate change and the current health crisis.

According to a statement by the organisers, the summit will present a unique opportunity to lay the foundations for a renewed and deeper AU-EU partnership with the highest political involvement based on trust and a clear understanding of mutual interests.

"They should also be talking about tools and solutions to promote stability and security through a renewed peace and security architecture," reads part of the statement.

A series of thematic roundtables will also be organized on growth financing health systems and vaccine production, agriculture in addition to sustainable development, education, culture and vocational training.

The list of other events include roundtables on migration and mobility, private sector support, economic integration, peace, security and governance as well as climate change, energy transition, digital and transport (connectivity and infrastructure).

The statement said the EU and AU heads of state and government will be participating in the roundtables, together with a selected group of external guests, who are experts in their respective fields.

It is expected that a joint declaration on a joint vision for 2030 is expected to be adopted by the participants.

The fifth AU-EU summit was held on 29-30 November 2017 in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire, where the leaders adopted a joint declaration outlining common priorities for the EU-Africa partnership in four strategic areas.

These included economic opportunities for youth, peace and security as well as mobility and migration and cooperation on governance.