Nation’s Textile Factory to Produce Malaria Bed Nets

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East African Business Week (Kampala) 29 April 2011 Dar Es Salaam — In a move to help local manufacturers improve the quality of packaging, the Tanzania Bureau of Standards (TBS) has introduced a Packaging Technology Centre (PTC) which will curb poor production. The progress comes after recent moves by the heads of states of the East African region who signed the common market charter, a deal which will allow the movement of goods and services around the region. Speaking to East African Business Week in Dar es Salaam last week, TBS' Managing Director, Mr.

East African Business Week (Kampala)

Bosco Hitimana

29 April 2011

Rwanda’s textile factory Utexrwa announced it is switching to production of insecticide treated malaria bed nets for both local and foreign markets. The factory’s Managing Director Mr. Rajendran Ranganathan told East African Business Week that it has an annual potential to produce about 12 million bed nets.

“Malaria bed nets have a huge demand in Africa,” said Rajendran. He said the estimated demand on the continent in 2010 is in the range of around 300 million but less than 30 million nets are produced annually.

For the beginning, the factory has secured over US$400,000 from Heineken to produce 70,000 bed nets for the Rwandan population. Meanwhile Rwanda requires about 4 million bed nets. “Since this money is given to us at once, we are using it to establish the capacity.”

Heineken contracted Utexrwa to produce the bed nets as part of its corporate social responsibility in Rwanda. Rajendran said that the initial tests showed that the factory has the desired quality of the impregnated bed nets and it is now arranging for bigger commercial production.

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Nation’s Textile Factory to Produce Malaria Bed Nets