DODOMA: THE Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of Health, Dr John Jingu, has urged stakeholders in the chemicals sector to make safe and appropriate use of chemicals to foster national development.
Opening a three-day training programme on the management and control of chemicals and their products for chemical supervisors in Dodoma on Wednesday, Dr Jingu noted that when used properly and in line with guidelines, chemicals bring significant benefits, unlike the severe consequences of their misuse.
“Properly used, chemicals have immense benefits, but misuse can lead to severe consequences such as fatalities and health and environmental impacts,” said Dr Jingu at the training, organised by the Government Chemist Laboratory Authority (GCLA) through its Eastern Zone Office, is being held in Dodoma.
The Permanent Secretary also commended the GCLA for its training theme, “Training Continues”, noting that education is an ongoing process, especially in the chemical field where new developments emerge daily.
He emphasised that knowledge is a key tool in ensuring the safe and appropriate use of chemicals to safeguard human health and the environment.
Chief Government Chemist, Dr Fidelice Mafumiko, highlighted that the GCLA continues to fulfill its legal mandates, including providing education, registering, and inspecting chemicals to enable the government to monitor which chemicals are imported, by whom, for what purpose, and whether they comply with legal requirements to protect health and the environment.
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“As of Tuesday, December 10, 2024, a total of 5,933 chemical stakeholders have been officially registered following GCLA efforts. This is a significant increase from 2012, when only 12 stakeholders were registered at the start of implementing the Industrial and Consumer Chemicals Management and Control Act, Chapter 182,” said Dr Mafumiko.
Training participants Berina Valence and Jimmy Mkongwe expressed gratitude for the knowledge gained, noting that it would help eliminate unsafe habitual practices in chemical management at their workplaces, which pose risks to worker health and the environment.
“These training are highly beneficial because some of the practices we’ve been accustomed to unsafe practices. This programme has given us the knowledge to change and adopt the correct approaches,” they concluded.
