TUBERCULOSIS IS THE DESEASE WHICH IS VERY CRRIONIC IN TANZANIA

Everybody is looking for love. When you finally meet the right person, it feels like a dream come true especially, if the search took a lifetime. Irony is, the partner in waiting could be on the look out for something totally different. It is also possible, that he/she could be with you for his own selfish agenda. Forgive my vague recollection of the biology lessons but I’m certain that a symbiotic relationship involves 2 organisms that directly benefit from each other. In parasitic relationships two organisms are in it; the hunter and the hunted. In the perilous world of dating, parasitic relationships are quite a norm; men and women hunt down each other like the soldiers of Persia. Hunter is gunned down Having been a hunter myself (I convey my sincere regrets), I know how what the poisonous arrow does to the prey and in my reformed state, would not wish for that arrow to land on anyone least of all, a close friend. Anyway, when my best friend broke news of a found love, I was excited for him because his luck buffered my hopes. But when I met Cindy (his girlfriend) I knew we had a problem. I am a woman and I know when a girl is into a guy and Cindy was evidently not into my pal. I also know that sharing wise words with a soul in love is like playing ukulele to a goat; you don’t expect a jig from the beast. When I spoke to my pal, I knew he was heading for the rocks. He was giving so much into the relationship yet the girl was taking and taking. He was always there for her but she was never there for him. He spent all his money, time and energy on her but she was ever too held up to see him. Cindy was a user! It was written all over her face. One for the money Nobody likes being used but it’s the new fad, and it is being done for so many reasons. The common reason is sex. Men are ever guilty of this offence, but women are gradually catching up. Nowadays women too are using men to get over an ex, make up for bad sex or as a rebound tool after a break-up. Most of the time, men are okay being used for sex because they get to reap benefits without being in a relationship. A friend once told me she doesn’t really like the boyfriend but she stays with him because he buys her nice things and provides for her. Once upon a time, women were the branded users but men are warming up to the idea. If you ask me, material lifespan in a relationship is much more short-lived than the emotional one. When a relationship is materialistic, ladies, you eventually age and a new hot item 20 years fresher appears on the shelf. Anyway, dating someone for the money is an age-old way to use someone. Strategic self-made unions The insulting thing about being used to cure someone’s bouts of jealousy, is that you feel twice as stupid; the user, exploits you to get back at the real deal he is interested in while you hang in there hoping to win your ticket to the aisle. You are a pawn in a game, either to make an ex jealous, to impress or compete with someone else. Many times I hear people say: "I am with X because they make me feel good about myself." As shallow as it sounds, there are men who only date the prettiest girl or woman who goes for the hottest guy, to boost their self-esteem. It’s no secret that you can get somewhere because of who you know and not necessarily what you do. We’ve all heard of "sleeping your way to the top"; relationships can be used the same way. You could use someone either to climb the corporate ladder or to improve self-image like the "strategic" Hollywood unions between aspiring actors and powerful producers. Some people even get-married to feign the "family man" image to the public. Watch out for these signs How do you know that you are being used? The easiest way to tell is when you are perpetually sorting out a financial mess, accomplishing this task or that. What are you in the relationship: a task manager? It is not fun when you and your partner are on different pages. Bottom line is that nobody wants to be used and knowing you are just a pawn in a game is damaging to one’s self esteem.　 It’s easy to know when you are being taken for a ride though; as a woman your intuition will be your first warning. Trust your intuition. It is the mind’s alert signal at the subconscious level. We all know that Karma is a bitch and in the end we all reap what we sow. Don’t use anyone if you don’t want to be used.　 　 　 　 　Is it true democracy or is it fragmentation?BY Cosmas　 PahalahONE could say it is a bad omen for the newly established party; the Alliance for Democratic Change (ADC), for it’s failing to attract support for many who were reached for comments. But on Monday this week a 19th party came to existence in the Tanzania’s political scene, the ADC is more of the break away from the Civic United Front (CUF), one time second to the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). This event comes about few months after another party the CCK had received a registration as 18th party in series. Sad news however is the fact that the new party appears to lack the necessary requisites for a serious party due to the fact many commentators do not expect anything new and substantial because in recent times, parties are becoming more of sources of income to individuals. A media consultant, former political editor with The Citizen, and current head for a human rights journalist’s organization, Christopher Kidanka says some politicians in Tanzania have failed to make a demarcation between political parties and interest groups; this then is the main cause of the mushrooming of political parties in this country. "It is strange to find that people are still thinking of establishing new parties since we are seeing nothing new in terms of policies and parties’ agenda except for new names which even though are very similar to those of the existing ones," he said when reached for comments. But without underestimating this weakness, he was quick to add that this ‘bloc’ movement of former members of the CUF has severe repercussions to its existence not only as an opposition party, but as a political party as well. He reminds that there are many tenets that identify a party as an opposition party; these have been lost since after the CUF had decided to form the Government of National Unity (GNU), with its archrival the ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM). "The lack of transparency in the formation of this Government had left many questions unanswered," added Kidanka. Rev. Fr Dr Joseph Matumaini a lecturer in policy communication at St Augustine University of Tanzania says the turn of events in opposition parties signifies lack of political morality in some of the leaders, he justifies that with the current number of 19 parties, 18 in the opposition might make serious people to ask questions on the seriousness of leaders of these parties if they are not just vehicles to facilitate incomes of their leaders. "I am dumbfounded when I read a newspaper to note that we have 19 parties I was flabbergasted that even sponsors might worry if at all these politicians are serious, or else they have turned their parties into sources of income," said Matumaini. Her reminds that even Mwalimu Julius Nyerere was successful in galvanizing financial support for the then Tanganyika African National Union because there was a clear focus that Tanzanians (Tanganyikans) were striving for having their own independence and this did not count whether these people supported Nyerere personally or not but his political course was not questionable anyhow. The don was critical that if at all politicians have reached a stage whereby parties are used for financial gains rather than service to the people then that is a big blow to this country. But he defended the decision that some people had chosen to move from the CUF because there might be genuine reasons that led them to call it quit from their former part party, and this has to send a message to the leadership that something has gone astray. A prominent political scientist and lecturer Prof Mwesigwa Baregu says it is a democratic right for some CUF members who have chosen to quit from their former party or even to establish a new party but the issue at hand is to look at several repercussions due to this decision as discussed here below: "The move to shift has been taken as a bloc decision which means there was a bloc discontent, these people want to foster their agenda, they want to show their solidarity, and it is most likely that this will have a severe impact to the CUF regardless of whether they will survive as a political party or not," says Baregu. Another commentator who preferred anonymity is a preacher and God’s servant who simply said, "Give God what belongs to God and Caesar what belongs to Caesar" but a few minutes later he decided to give a few comments and said that the main problems with Tanzanian politicians is the fact that people are compelled top join political parties because of the physical demands of the human body like food, water and shelter. "I am sure that it is wrong to reduce politics to the human body demands because this is unethical and could make smart people to manipulate politics and divert it to fulfill their desires by forming movements which appears as political parties but lacking coherent political agenda," he commented. A lecturer in media and politics at the Institute of Journalism and Mass Communications of the University of Dar es Salaam, Ernest Mrutu said that people must be wary of the ‘Mobutu Syndrome’ he was referring to the late Mobutu Sese Seko, former president of Zaire now Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), who registered more than 360 parties through his relatives and close allies with the aim of weakening the opposition. However, he reminded that for quite sometime now there were claims from the CUF of dictatorial tendencies by its leadership and this sadden move could have been a calculated to send a strong message of dissatisfaction to the disfranchised members whose voice went unheard for so long. He further warned Tanzanians to take precautions once they discover there is a ‘dirty game’ to further political interests of some people who detests tangible development of this country. "I was surprised to hear that there is propaganda that Dr Willibrod Slaa is an agent of the CCM such campaigns are bad as they can cause harm and intra-conflicts if members are not careful," he concluded.　 　 　 　‘Tuberculosis is not drug-resistant in Tanzania’ By, Cosmas Pahalah Minister for Health and Social Welfare, Dr Haji Mponda, has assured Tanzanians that no known cases of Totally Drug Resistant Tuberculosis have been reported in this country. Dr Mponda was responding to a question by this reporter on findings made by doctors at the PD Hinduja National Hospital and Research Centre, in India’s largest city, Mumbai, who reported that they had confirmed four cases of Totally Drug Resistant Tuberculosis (TDR-TB) at their facility. Tanzania ranks 18th on the list of 22 high-burden tuberculosis countries in the world, as per statistics released in a medical journal on clinical infectious disease, released last year in December. According to the World Health Organization, every year 9 million people are infected by the disease, while 2 million of them die every year. Dr Mponda said the Government is working closely with researchers on TB drug-resistant cases in other countries, such as India and China. "I can assure my fellow citizens that, in Tanzania we have never found cases of drug-resistance in tuberculosis patients," he said. He said the ministry is taking a close look to ensure that the current drugs for TB treatment are effective, and nobody will die because of the disease. Of the estimated 120,191new TB cases in 2007, 56,233 were sputum smear-positive (SS+), due to improved quality of services and evaluation; Tanzania met the World Health Organization’s global target of 85 percent in 2007 for treatment success. However, the case detection rate for new SS+ TB cases remains low at 51 percent, well below WHO’s target of 70 percent. Case notification rates have fallen over the last three years. The HIV/AIDS epidemic is associated with a 60 percent increase in active TB in Tanzania. Fifty percent of notified cases were tested for HIV in 2007, and the prevalence of HIV infection among TB patients is estimated at 47 percent. Plans to expand treatment to HIV-positive TB patients will reduce the death rate, and plans to improve TB reporting systems will improve followup and reduce patient default rates. Prevalence of multi-drug resistant TB remains low, with about 1,300 cases reported in 2007. Management of MDR-TB started in 2007, although preparations began in 2006 with the renovations of laboratories and patient facilities, procurement of new diagnostic tools, and recruitment of personnel. Antibiotics to control tuberculosis have been available for more than half a century. But TB bacteria have shown a resilient capability to evolve drug-resistant va