The Government Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Prof Abel Makubi, has commended Sokoine University of Agriculture through the APOPO tuberculosis (TB) detection program for their invaluable role in saving lives and reducing the spread of TB to many people across Tanzania by using trained African giant pouched rats (Hero Rats)
He gave the congratulations on Thursday, 25th February 2021 during his visit to the APOPO tuberculosis (TB) detection program, a diagnostic technology which helps detection of TB in patients missed by the commonly used microscope and other conventional diagnostic methods located at Sokoine University of Agriculture
"Sokoine University of Agriculture has made a huge contribution in the Health Sector and we promise to continue to work with you to help save more lives even in other diseases not only in TB ", said Prof. Makubi
He added that the Sokoine University of Agriculture has been instrumental in preventing and detecting various microbes that cause diseases. He noted that TB tests conducted at Sokoine University of Agriculture laboratory for several years have detected 81,000 samples which has greatly helped reduce infection and save many lives.
Prof. Makubi commended the Researcher from Sokoine University of Agriculture’s Pest Management Centre, Dr. Georgies Mgode who is the project manager and his team for making good use of this Technology and urged the university to make sure that this TB diagnosis services is accessible to more people in Tanzania.
Finally, Prof. Makubi asked all researchers from Sokoine University of Agriculture to collaborate with other Governments agencies to to find vaccines for TB and treatments of other diseases that are still a problem in the Nation.
Speaking before welcoming the guest, the Vice Chancellor of Sokoine University of Agriculture (SUA) Prof. Raphael Chibunda thanked the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children for giving university the opportunity to help save the lives of the community through rats that detect TB quickly by sniffing sputum samples brought to the laboratory which is located at SUA.
Giving a word of thanks, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration and Finance) Prof. Amandus Muhairwa thanked the Chief Medical Officer for visiting the Sokoine University of Agriculture and promised to act on all the advice he gave to the management.
During his tour at the Sokoine University of Agriculture, Chief Medical Officer, Prof. Abel Makubi visited APOPO projects and saw for himself how rats detects TB through sputum samples brought to the laboratory, he also visited the Virus Research and Testing Laboratory and SUA Animal Referral Hospital.
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