“Urges #Tanzania to ramp up public health measures such as wearing masks to fight # COVID19. Science shows #VaccinesWork and I urge the government to prepare for the COVID vaccination campaign , ”said WHO Regional Director for Africa, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti said on January 28, following the remarks of President John Magufuli from the previous day. “WHO is here to support the Tanzanian government and people,” Moeti said.
WHO Director General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus echoed Moeti ‘s comments, saying “I will join @ MoetiTshidi’ s call for strong health measures and # COVID19 vaccine preparation. Data sharing with #Tanzania is also important, with issues emerging among travelers and visitors over the months. “
President Magufuli, who was re-elected in a controversial election in October 2020, has been reducing the virus and has told the health ministry not to rip off the purchase of vaccines.
“Some of our fellow Tanzanians who have recently traveled abroad are looking for corona vaccines, and they are the ones who returned corona in our country on their return,” Magufuli said at an event on January 27. My fellow Tanzanians, let us stand firm, some of these vaccines are not good for us. ”
“I strongly urge the ministry of health to be very careful with all the vaccines that are introduced into our country, not all vaccines are good intentions for our country, it is important that Tanzanians We are very careful with some of these vaccines. introduced into our country, “he said.
“We must put our God first but at the same time we will take all necessary steps, health protection measures to protect ourselves from this disease, as advised by the health experts of our country,” said Magufuli “We (Tanzanians) have lived for almost a year without the virus, and it is good evidence that most of us here are not hiding,” he said.
At a press conference on Monday (February 1), Tanzanian Health Minister Dorothy Gwajima did not say when the country would start receiving vaccines but instead reiterated the hygiene practices recommended by the government, which including drinking plenty of water and bringing in local herbs, which the government says, without evidence, can fight off the virus.
Tanzania has not updated their Covid-19 data since the end of April, leaving the latest number of confirmed cases reported at 509 and the death toll at 21. These are the latest figures to be released. Johns Hopkins University is published on its website.
Answering a question about Tanzania’s approach to treating the pandemic, Dr. John Nkengasong, Director of the African Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said the continent must be united in response to the virus in order to thrive.
“Africa is working with a strong coordination of the African Union (AU). Our position is clear, that we must express a unity of purpose in order to succeed as a continent,” Nkengasong said.
“Tanzania is a great country, has been a great country in Africa preaching and promoting the values of unity on the continent,” he said. “So great and close cooperation is highly valued. friendship and a great sense of unity of purpose from Tanzania at this critical time in our history. ”
Brent Swails CNN and a CNN source in Tanzania contributed to this report.