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| MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES |
MUHIMBILI UNIVERSITY OF HEALTH AND ALLIED SCIENCES TO ADVANCE TRANS FAT ELIMINATION IN TANZANIA
Highly Competitive Grant Awarded by Resolve to Save Lives Awards Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences (MUHAS) has been awarded a two-year, highly competitive grant of USD 80,000 to address the dangers of trans fat exposure in Tanzania. The project will conduct the first-ever assessment of levels of harmful trans fats in local street foods, fast foods and edible oils/fats in the country.
The grant program, part of the LINKS platform that connects people working to improve cardiovascular health around the world, is funded by Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies, and managed by Resolve along with the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through the CDC Foundation.
In my community, cardiovascular diseases are increasingly common, including life threatening complications like stroke and heart failure, said Fredirick Mashili, lecturer and research officer at the East African Center of Excellence in Cardiovascular Sciences, MUHAS. Knowing of the amount of trans fats in Tanzanian foods will help guide the community for better and healthy choices, and spur policy action towards the elimination of trans fats from the Tanzanian food chain. This grant will allow us to influence policy and practice towards the prevention and control of cardiovascular disease.
Trans fats cause heart attack and stroke and were estimated to cause more than 540,000 deaths a year worldwide. A recent analysis concluded that eliminating trans fats from the global food supply could save 17 million lives over 25 years. Cardiovascular disease kills more people each year than all infectious diseases combined, but it remains neglected by many health systems and the global health community, said Dr. Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives. LINKS is connecting champions on the front lines of work in low- and middle-income countries and sharing lessons and resources to accelerate progress.
This second round of grant funding will support government and civil society organizations working in 18 countries: Armenia, Azerbaijan, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Georgia, Haiti, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nigeria, Pakistan, South Africa, Tanzania, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan and Vietnam. Funded programs include a patient-centered hypertension screening and treatment program in Pakistan, monitoring South Africas sodium reduction laws, and advocacy for effective regulation of trans fat in Kenya.
Issued by:
Information, Communication and Public Relations Office, MUHAS
