DAR ES SALAAM: TANZANIA’S Ambassador to the Republic of Korea, Togolani Mavura, has encouraged health institutions in the country to take advantage of the strong bilateral ties between them and Tanzania to utilise existing opportunities in the health sector.
The opportunities include doubling of Korea’s Official Development Assistance (ODA) to Africa from 5 billion US dollars to 10 billion US dollars, growing interest of the Korea’s academia in internationalisation and Africanisation and Knowledge Sharing Programmes (KSPs).
The envoy made the remarks on Monday in Dar es Salaam during a special talk with the staff, students and alumni of Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS).
The talk, organised by MUHAS’s Internationalisation and Convocation Unit, focused on opportunities and collaboration in health, research and training between Tanzanian and Korean institutions.
The diplomat stated that the discussion aligns well with President Samia Suluhu Hassan’s directives to strengthen health diplomacy.
ALSO READ: Govt urged to consider Maputo Protocol ratification
President Samia tasked the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and East African Cooperation to develop a health diplomacy strategy to secure advanced training opportunities for health sector employees at international health science universities.
The Head of State issued the directives recently in Dar es Salaam when addressing the public during the commemoration of three-year anniversary of the death of third phase President Benjamin Mkapa which reflected on the late leader’s life and legacy.
Regarding the bilateral ties between two countries, the envoy said Tanzania and Korea have been cooperating for a long time in the health sector, especially in health infrastructure, adding it is high time to explore new opportunities for cooperation in health, research and training between Tanzanian and Korean’s institutions apart from infrastructure.
“Currently, the cooperation between the Republic of Korea and Tanzania largely focuses on health infrastructure …it is high time to go further,” he pointed out.
Adding: “These collaborations in heath infrastructure are good…but we can do better if we involve other areas such as research.”
He further said international cooperation in the health sector cannot only help the industry to grow, but also to strengthen it.
Some of the notable health projects implemented by Korea in Tanzania are establishment of Binguni Hospital in Zanzibar, Chanika Child and Maternal Health Improvement Project among others.
Elaborating, Amb Mavura applauded the University for putting Tanzania on the map of the global university rankings.
MUHAS has been ranked third in the 2023 Sub Saharan University rankings and the fifth in the list of African best universities.
MUHAS Vice-Chancellor, Prof Appolinary Kamuhabwa, said that the institution currently has international cooperation with more than 100 countries worldwide.
Prof Kamuhabwa added that MUHAS will continue to explore new opportunities internationally to continue levelling up the status of the institution.
