Visit of his Highness Aga Khan set to boost Tanzania’s economy
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His Highness Aga Khan will visit the country next week following invitation extended by President John Magufuli.
Dar es Salaam. The Aga Khan Council said the visit of his Highness the Aga Khan to Tanzania, scheduled for October 11-12, will open opportunities to various sectors and boost the country’s economy.
His Highness Aga Khan will visit the country next week following an invitation extended to him by President John Magufuli.
Addressing a press conference on Friday October 6, a member of the Aga Khan Council responsible for communication Shelmina Shivji said the purpose of the visit was to reaffirm commitment of the Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) to Tanzanians.
She said his visit to East Africa, will commerce on October 9, by visiting Uganda following invitation made by Yoweri Mseveni before arriving to Tanzania.
For her part, Aga Khan Hospital Director of Nursing Lucy Hwai said the hospital had embarked on a Sh176 billion significant expansion that would boost its capacity and become a premier teaching and provider of tertiary health care education in the country.
The expansion, expected to be completed by mid-2018, will enhance cardiology, oncology, neuroscience, critical care and obstructs and gynaecology programmes.
Ms Hwai added that the expansion would provide 100 additional beds and six new operating theatres along with advance diagnostic facilities, which would also allow expansion of education programmes.
"We are happy for his historical visit of his Highness Aga Khan and hope he will inspect the expansion project," she said.
Also as part of expansion, 20 additional outreach health facilities will be established by 2020 across the country.
Meanwhile, Aga Khan Foundation Director Revealed Kataru said the facility was implementing other various projects in health, education, finance and agriculture.
She said 1,844 residents in Lindi and Mtwara had benefited from loans provided to small sized entrepreneurs to enable them open and strengthen their businesses with 66 per cent being women.
Ms Kataru said the foundation intended to improve incomes of poor families in efforts to eradicate poverty.
