CANADA HELPS TANZANIA: Sh1.8bn for doctors in rural Tanzania courtesy of Canada dearest

By Alex Bitekeye
The Citizen Reporter

Thursday, 21 March 2013 21:04

Dar es Salaam. Tanzania has received $1.2 million (about Sh1.8 billion) for funding scientific innovations in health projects in a bid to improve the sector. The money, channeled through the Grand Challenges Canada, would fund 16 researchers providing health services in rural areas. The project, which is being supervised by the National Institute for Medical Research (NIMR), aims at improving health services offered by health practitioners living in rural communities. “We highly recommend the ‘ideas for humanity’ slogan which means we need innovators who will use the fund to help people living in rural areas,” said the NIMR director general, Dr Mwele Malecela. She detailed that scientists need to go forward and find answers through science and technology, stressing thatresearchers have got plenty of useful ideas. “Our duty is to make them turn these ideas into reality,” she said. For his side, Grand Challenges Canada chief executive officer, Mr Peter Singer, applauded the move. “Innovators in developing countries should develop ideas which will solve problems facing their fellow citizens,” said he. “We need good ideas that will impact on the majority’s lives, ideas that target at curing or providing solutions to problems, such as diseases facing women and children,” Mr Singer said. http://thecitizen.co.tz/news/4-national-news/29840-sh18bn-for-doctors-in-rural-tanzania-courtesy-of-canada-dearest