American Charge de’Affaires in Tanzania leaves US Embassy quietly

inmi patterson | eTurboNews | eTN
inmi patterson

Charge d’Affaires in the United States embassy in Tanzania had left her diplomatic duties quietly after the embassy issued travel advisories warning American citizens over the COVID-19 situation in Tanzania.

It was not established immediately whether the senior US diplomat, Dr. Inmi Patterson had ended her tour of duty in Tanzania the past few days, but, it is well known that she had once summoned by Tanzanian Foreign Ministry over travel advisories the US Embassy in Dar es Salaam had issued over COVID-19 pandemic situation.

During her three-year tour of duty in Tanzania, Dr. Patterson had attracted financial assistance to support the health sector in this country.

The US had donated US dollars 2.4 million to Tanzania’s health sector last month to boost capacity for optional diagnostics and risk communication during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Another US dollars 1.9 million directed to COVID-19 mitigation efforts, bringing into a total of US dollars 5.3 million.

Before leaving for Washington, Dr. Patterson said that in the ongoing global campaigns to fight the spread of Coronavirus spread pandemic across the world, the United States of America is working shoulder to shoulder with its friends and partners to guarantee global health security.

“Every day, new U.S. technical and material assistance arrives in hospitals and labs around the world. These efforts, in turn, build on a decades-long foundation of American expertise, generosity, and planning that is unmatched in history”, Inmi said.

“The United States provides development assistance to strengthen bonds with nations around the world because we believe it is the right thing to do. We also do it because pandemics do not respect national borders. If we can help countries contain outbreaks, we will save lives abroad and at home in the U.S.”, she noted.

Facing the COVID-19 outbreak, the U.S. commitment to African and global health has not, and will not waiver. Since the outbreak of COVID-19, the U.S. government has committed nearly $ 500 million worldwide in assistance to date.

America is now funding nearly 40 percent of the world’s global health assistance programs, adding up to $ 140 billion in health investments during the past 20 years which is five times.

“Since 2009, American taxpayers have generously funded more than $ 100 billion in health assistance and nearly $ 70 billion in humanitarian assistance globally”, Inmi added.

“This money has saved lives, protected people who are most vulnerable to disease, built health institutions, including those at the front line of COVID-19 response, and promoted the stability of communities and nations”, said Inmi.

“No country can fight COVID-19 alone.  As we have time and time again, the United States will aid others during their time of greatest need. We will continue to help countries build resilient health care systems that can prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease outbreaks”, she noted.

“Together we can meet the historic challenge posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, every day, all over the world”, concluded the outgoing Charge d’Affaires of the US Embassy in Tanzania.

United States President Donald Trump had nominated Dr.  Don J. Wright of Virginia as his new envoy to Tanzania three years of the US Embassy in Tanzania’s commercial capital of Dar es Salaam running without an appointed ambassador.

When confirmed, Dr. Wright will succeed Mark Bradley Childress who served as US ambassador to Tanzania from May 22, 2014 to October 25, 2016. Until now, the US Embassy had been running under the outgoing Charge d’Affaires, Dr. Inmi Patterson before her departure.

The United States is the leading donor to Tanzania in health projects targeting malaria eradication, Tuberculosis, and HIV/AIDS prevention, safe-motherhood, and health education programs.

With budget constraints in health services, Tanzania depends on donor support, mostly the United States, Britain, Germany, and Scandinavian states to finance health projects.

Wildlife conservation is the other area which the US government had committed to support Tanzania in the last few years. America has been in the frontline to assist Tanzania in anti-poaching campaigns aimed to saving African elephants and other endangered species from extinction from poaching.

The US government has been supporting Tanzanian and other African nations in fighting international terrorism and piracy in the Indian Ocean.

After taking over his new position in Dar es Salaam, the new US ambassador is expected to spearhead economic diplomacy between Tanzania and the US. Tourism is the leading economic sector in which Tanzania is looking for an American partnership.

The United States is the second of high-class tourists visiting Tanzania every year. Over 50,000 Americans visit Tanzania every year, making the US a leading source of high-class tourists visiting this African safari destination.

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Apolinari Tairo - eTN Tanzania

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