Tanzania Agricultural Development Bank (TABD) has officially joined the government’s mobile vaccination (chanjo tembezi) initiative as it seeks to play a role in upping the number of Tanzanians who receive the Covid-19 jab.
In partnership with the Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI), TADB coordinated a sensitization campaign on the Covid-19 pandemic and its vaccination to the lender’s employees and other stakeholders at the weekend.
Speaking during the launch of the campaign exercise at the weekend, the TADB Managing Director, Mr Frank Nyabundege said the initiative sought to ensure that farmers – who account for over 60 percent of Tanzania’s population – get relevant knowledge that will help them to make informed decisions regarding the Covid-19 pandemic and its vaccines.
Through this initiative, we seek to spread public awareness regarding the Covid-19 pandemic. We have also set up a vaccination centre here in line with the government’s mobile vaccination initiative,” he said.
That way, he said, the country will be able to save lives of its farmers who feed the nation and also contribute immensely to the economy.
Through this mobile vaccination centre, we are contributing to the government’s initiative of increasing the number of such centres. Initially, there were 550 but now, there are a total of 6,784 centres. This gives a chance for TADB employees and their family members to get the jab at the bank’s headquarters free of charge,” he said.
He urged all farming stakeholders across the country to visit any of the centres so they can receive the jab which will protect them against Covid-19.
Data from the World Health Organisation (WHO) show that so far, a total of 4,697,099 people have succumbed to the pandemic. I therefore ask my fellow Tanzanians to get the jab so as to reduce the possibility of death in case they get affected by Covid-19,” he said.
Gracing the event, the Regional Medical Officer for Dar es Salaam, Dr Rashid Mfaume commended TADB and JKCI for the initiative and called upon Tanzanians to do away with some unfounded and negative sentiments regarding Covid-19 vaccines.
While I commend the bank, I also want to assure Tanzanians that these vaccines are safe. These vaccines will boost the capacity of the body to effectively fight the virus and thus reduce the possibility of death in case you acquire it (the Covid-19 virus),” he said.
For a country to develop, he said, it needs a healthy workforce hence the need for Tanzanians to go and receive the jab for the general good of their families and the nation as a whole.
The director for cardiac diseases at the JKCI, Dr Tatizo Waane said there was no difference between Covid-19 jabs and other vaccines for various other diseases that Tanzanians have been subjected to for decades.
These vaccines do not have any serious negative effect. They are just like any other vaccine. As experts, we will continue to stress the need for people to go and receive the jabs as the best way to protect themselves against the Covid-19 pandemic,” he said.