WHO - Afrikan Heroes

WHO Launches Knowledge Brokering Platform to Support Health Systems in the African Region

November 26, 2020

Dr Humphrey Karamagi, the Team Leader of Data, Analytics and Knowledge Management at WHO Regional Office for Africa

The World Health Organization (WHO) and partners launched an online platform today to promote the exchange of evidence and experience across countries in the African region. By working to foster evidence-informed decision-making in an endeavor to re-engineer health service delivery, the initiative is expected to drive countries’ health system resilience efforts. The African Health Observatory Platform on Health Systems and Policy (AHOP) aims to facilitate cross-country learning and accelerate the uptake of high-quality evidence and experiences reflecting the complexity and diversity of the region. This knowledge translation effort will ultimately help strengthen national and regional health system design and performance.

“This is a significant step. So much data and research in Africa is produced, but not always shared,” said Dr Humphrey Karamagi, the Team Leader of Data, Analytics and Knowledge Management at WHO Regional Office for Africa. “The experience-sharing occurring between countries on all types of health conditions could be used to deliver services that people are actually asking for.”

Leading public health research institutions in Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda and Senegal are generating knowledge through the collection, analysis and synthesis of evidence for use by decision-makers at national and regional levels. Through frequent policy-maker input and engagement, AHOP seeks to respond to policy needs with timely support and reliable evidence tailored and packaged in ways that are useful and usable for policy-makers.

Outputs range from country-specific profiles covering health systems and their performance, to policy briefs on topical issues requiring evidence to guide decision-making. It is expected that the number of national centres will rapidly expand to bring more countries and institutions on board. A consortium of technical partners, including the London School of Economics and Political Science and the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, support the national centres in producing locally-led analyses. The WHO Regional Office for Africa ensures regional relevance of the different analyses.

AHOP complements the larger WHO integrated African Health Observatory (iAHO), currently the most comprehensive, freely available online repository for data, analytics and knowledge on health for decision-makers, researchers, stakeholders and citizens in the region.

“By adding the knowledge component, we want to provide a one-stop shop that will bridge the gap between research and decision-makers to accelerate the progress towards access to affordable and quality health services,” Dr Karamagi said. This joint initiative is supported by grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Why Africa beat the COVID-19 predictions By Aylin Elci

October 6, 2020

WHO’s Regional Director for Africa, Matshidiso Moeti

The African continent has experienced fewer COVID-19 casualties than initially predicted.According to the World Health Organization, the continent has benefited from social and environmental factors and strong public health measures.

While infections spread worldwide, COVID-19 cases have been declining across the African continent since July. The reason, according to the World Health Organization and other experts, is the result of a combination of public health measures paired with strong socio-environmental factors.

Timely response

Early on, some worried that a shortage of health professionals and equipment would make battling COVID-19 difficult – or even catastrophic. Others wondered if prevention measures, such as handwashing, could be easily adapted to varying contexts where finding fresh running water can be difficult.

Years of experience battling previous pandemics, however, helped ensure the continent’s response was swift and more tailored to local needs and capacities than it might have been otherwise. Fraying global solidarity also galvanized many nations to seek out solutions themselves rather than wait for resources or support.

“Africa has not witnessed an exponential spread of COVID-19 as many initially feared,” Dr Matshidiso Moeti, World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for Africa, was quoted in the release.

“The downward trend we have seen in Africa over the past two months is undoubtedly a positive development and speaks to the robust and decisive public health measures taken by governments across the region,” said Moeti.

Population

Africa’s younger population has helped keep case numbers – and deaths – down. Around 40% of the continent’s population is younger than 14, according to World Bank data. Algeria, one of the continent’s most affected countries also has one of the larger shares of older residents (6.5% of people 65 and older, around twice the share of the continent as a whole.)

What is more, African culture is more inclusive of older persons and many live with their families instead of care homes, which have proven to be extremely high-risk environments. Large shares of older populations helped drive death rates in countries around the world. At one point in the US, one third of all deaths came from nursing home residents and their workers.

Mobility

Travel challenges have helped limit the virus’ spread. Travel within the African continent can be more challenging than in other areas around the world due to the continent’s sheer size and the lower development of road networks. Additionally, the high-cost of inter-continental flights can make air travel less attractive.

To bridge those gaps, countries leveraged new technologies and approaches to adhere to health guidelines, keeping goods moving and people safe. For instance, a special system forged by the six nations of the East African Community helped truckers efficiently share COVID-19 test results to speed cross-border trade.

Meanwhile, lightweight drones helped get deliveries of supplies such as blood and PPE to hospitals and clinics to rural communities in Africa. Trips that might have taken an entire day by car can take 30 minutes or less by drone.

To date, the continent has seen 1.4 million cases and 36,000 deaths, a fraction of those other countries have experienced. Its recovery rate has been nearly 80%. Still, the country must remain vigilant. Nearly 80% of those infected in Africa show no symptoms, Moeti recently explained. Progress has made some complacent.

As long as the virus is spreading, the risk for an uptick in spread and overwhelmed health systems is real. As Moeti explained, “The slower spread of infection in the region means we expect the pandemic to continue to smoulder for some time, with occasional flare-ups.”

Aylin Elci, Communications Officer, World Economic Forum Geneva

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Report shows multidimensional challenges caused by Covid-19 across Africa

September 29, 2020

Dr Elsie S. Kanza, Head of the Regional Agenda, Africa; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum

A new report on the new coronavirus pandemic in Africa, presented by Partnership for Evidence-Based COVID-19 Response (PERC), reveals the multidimensional challenges faced by the people on the continent and makes recommendations to governments on how to manage the public health crisis to lessen its burden on their citizens. According to the report, most African Union (AU) Member States swiftly implemented public health and social measures (PHSMs) to contain COVID-19; these measures likely slowed the spread of the virus, and caseloads in Africa have remained lower than projected.

Though many governments have since loosened restrictions, allowing some economic activity to resume, new research from the Partnership for Evidence-Based COVID-19 Response (PERC) highlights substantial indirect burdens of the virus across Africa and offers recommendations to governments as countries scale up or scale down PHSMs to control the pandemic.

Almost half of people surveyed reported to have skipped routine care during the pandemic, according to PERC’s latest report -the second in its “Using Data to Find a Balance” series-which draws from a survey of more than 24,000 adults in 18 AU Member States, as well as social, economic and epidemiological data from a range of sources.

Up to 70% respondents reported problems accessing food in the past week, and just as many survey respondents reported earning less money compared to the same time last year. Still, support for PHSMs remained strong, and 85% of respondents reported wearing a face mask in the previous seven days.

“African Union Member States have responded decisively to COVID-19,” said Dr John Nkengasong, Director of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. “The data presented in PERC’s new report will allow decision makers to go beyond COVID-19 caseloads alone and instead consider a fuller picture of health and wellbeing, and tailor response measures accordingly.”

Governments and international aid organizations need to act quickly to restore access to health services for care unrelated to COVID-19 and to build back public demand for services. Of survey participants who have needed health care during the pandemic, almost half reported skipping or delaying care; among those who needed medications, almost half reported increased difficulty in obtaining them. The most commonly delayed or skipped health care services were routine check-ups, followed by care for malaria, diabetes, cardiovascular issues, antenatal care, and care for children under 5 years old.

“As in past outbreaks, we are seeing a high cost from missed and delayed health care,” said Dr Zabulon Yoti, Acting Regional Director, Emergency Preparedness and Response Cluster, World Health Organization. “Even routine check-ups are critical for screening and treating people for both communicable and noncommunicable diseases. We must protect access to health care by making sure that facilities are equipped to handle COVID-19 infections, and that health workers are protected.”

Most respondents supported reopening their national economies, but reported anxiety about resuming normal activities was also high. The data suggest that COVID-19 is seen as a serious threat, but for many, economic needs outweigh concern about catching the virus.

Still, adherence to the “3 W’s” – wearing a mask, washing hands and watching distance from others – remained high, pointing to a way forward for policymakers. Effective government support for these behavioral measures could mitigate the need for more restrictive measures in the future.

“COVID-19 has threatened progress toward all Sustainable Development Goals, and PERC’s data clearly show the importance of targeted relief measures,” said Dr Elsie S. Kanza, Head of the Regional Agenda, Africa; Member of the Executive Committee, World Economic Forum, “These are needed to help our economic recovery, to protect health and to prevent inequality from widening.

The report also highlights gaps in reporting key data, including data on community transmission and adherence to preventive measures, which limits the speed and impact of efforts made to manage local outbreaks, and makes it difficult to calibrate PHSMs.

“Data is essential to our defence against COVID-19, and the more governments in AU Member States can rely on it to support their decisions, the more effective their response will be,” said Dr Tom Frieden, President and CEO of Resolve to Save Lives, an initiative of Vital Strategies.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Why Africa has experienced mild Covid-19 cases — WHO

September 27, 2020

The World Health Organisation (WHO) has said that Africa’s

mild Covid-19 cases could be as a result of the continent having far more asymptomatic cases than the rest of the world. This was made known by the World Health Organisation’s Regional Office for Africa citing its preliminary analysis that over 80 percent of COVID-19 cases in African countries are asymptomatic.

WHO Regional Director, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti

The global health body disclosed this through its Regional Director, Dr. Matshidiso Moeti who made series of tweets using the agency’s official tweeter handle. She equally noted that studies are now underway to test if communities have antibodies for COVID-19.

It tweeted “Interpreting the #COVID19 situation in the Region is complex, & requires a combination of metrics & tools, which I’m sure our panelists will elaborate on in our discussions today.“ There are now more than 1.4 million reported #COVID19 cases on the African continent & 34,000 people have sadly lost their lives.

“Even before the first cases were reported in #Africa in February, at @WHO we were working with governments & partners to ramp-up preparedness & response capacities for #COVID19 & other infectious diseases.

“From March, Governments quickly implemented restrictions on movement & gathering & this created a window of opportunity to keep case numbers low & strengthen public health capacities.” #COVID19.

“Studies are now underway to test if communities have antibodies for #COVID19, meaning people were infected, but not detected. Some early results… suggest a higher number of infections than those reported.”

“Our preliminary analysis suggests that over 80% of cases in African countries are asymptomatic… & this is reinforced by the fact that in most communities, health facilities have not been overwhelmed by severe #COVID19 cases. #Africa.”

Moeti noted that although cases are being missed, this does not affect the deaths attributed to COVID-19 in the Region.

“We are not seeing evidence of excess mortality due to COVID-19 or missing deaths.

“Overall, I really commend the response in African countries. We are making progress thanks to the concerted efforts of governments, communities & partners.

“Going forward, countries should continue to strengthen data & information, in implementing the key public health tools of surveillance, testing, isolation & contact tracing,” she said.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

World Leaders Unite for Universal Access to Covid-19 Vaccines, Tests and Treatments

April 25, 2020

Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General

To guard against hiccups that may prevent the containment of the Covid-19 disease globally, leaders from around the world, including heads of government, institutions and industry have agreed to help accelerate development and delivery for all populations everywhere. The leaders yesterday, made the unprecedented commitment to work together to accelerate the development and production of new vaccines, tests and treatments for COVID-19 and assure equitable access worldwide. As the COVID-19 pandemic has already affected more than 2.4 million people, killing over 160,000. It is taking a huge toll on families, societies, health systems and economies around the world, and for as long as this virus threatens any country, the entire world is at risk.

There is an urgent need, therefore, while following existing measures to keep people physically distanced and to test and track all contacts of people who test positive, for innovative COVID-19 vaccines, diagnostics and treatments. “We will only halt COVID-19 through solidarity,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Countries, health partners, manufacturers, and the private sector must act together and ensure that the fruits of science and research can benefit everybody.”

Work has already started. Since January, WHO has been working with researchers from hundreds of institutions to develop and test vaccines, standardize assays and standardize regulatory approaches on innovative trial designs and define criteria to prioritize vaccine candidates. The Organization has prequalified diagnostics that are being used all over the world, and more are in the pipeline. And it is coordinating a global trial to assess the safety and efficacy of four therapeutics against COVID-19.

The challenge is to speed up and harmonize processes to ensure that once products are deemed safe and effective, they can be brought to the billions of people in the world who need them. Past experience, in the early days of HIV treatment, for example, and in the deployment of vaccines against the H1N1 outbreak in 2009, shows that even when tools are available, they have not been equally available to all.

The leaders who gathered during a virtual event, co-hosted by the World Health Organization, the President of France, the President of the European Commission, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation committed to seeing to the containment of the disease without allowing policy hiccups, or geographical barriers to hinder access to drugs and treatments. The event was joined by the UN Secretary General, the AU Commission Chairperson, the G20 President, heads of state of France, South Africa, Germany, Vietnam, Costa Rica, Italy, Rwanda, Norway, Spain, Malaysia and the UK (represented by the First Secretary of State).

Health leaders from the Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations (CEPI), GAVI-the Vaccine Alliance, the Global Fund, UNITAID, the Wellcome Trust, the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (IFRC), the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers (IFPMA), the Developing Countries Vaccine Manufacturers’ Network (DCVMN), and the International Generic and Biosimilar Medicines Association (IGBA) committed to come together, guided by a common vision of a planet protected from human suffering and the devastating social and economic consequences of COVID-19, to launch this groundbreaking collaboration. They are joined by two Special Envoys: Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, Gavi Board Chair and Sir Andrew Witty, former CEO of GlaxoSmithKline.

They pledged to work towards equitable global access based on an unprecedented level of partnership. They agreed to create a strong unified voice, to build on past experience and to be accountable to the world, to communities and to one another. “Our shared commitment is to ensure all people have access to all the tools to prevent, detect, treat and defeat COVID-19,” said Dr Tedros. “No country and no organization can do this alone. The Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator brings together the combined power of several organizations to work with speed and scale.”

Health leaders called on the global community and political leaders to support this landmark collaboration and for donors to provide the necessary resources to accelerate achievement of its objectives, capitalizing on the opportunity provided by a forthcoming pledging initiative that starts on 4 May 2020. This initiative, spearheaded by the European Union, aims to mobilize the significant resources needed to accelerate the work towards protecting the world from COVID-19.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

World Health Organisation (WHO) Warns Africa to Prepare for Covid-19

March 19, 2020

Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom

Even though Africa seems to have been spared of the devastation going on in other parts of the world presently, the continent should be wary of the virus, so warns the World Health Organisation (WHO). According to the world body, Africa should “prepare for the worst” as the coronavirus begins to spread locally, the Director General of the World Health Organization, Tedros Adhanom said that as South Africa becomes the continent’s new focus of concern as cases nearly doubled to 116 from two days before. A hike he said should be a source of worry to the authorities.

Though the pandemic is in its early days on the continent, health experts have warned that even facilities in Africa’s richest nation could be overwhelmed by the virus’ spread. “I think Africa should wake up. My continent should wake up,” said WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, who is an Ethiopian national. This call is coming as South Africa’s health minister; Zweli Mkhize described the rate at which Covid-19 cases jumped as “explosive” in the country with the most cases in sub-Saharan Africa. Fourteen of the latest cases were from local transmission — and six were in children under 10.

Critics have blamed crowded conditions in poor areas as likely cause of faster transmission as countless South Africans continue to pack into commuter trains and minivan taxis. However, the annual pilgrimage of the Zion Christian Church, which attracts about 3 million people, was cancelled. “We have low-income workers who cannot afford to self-isolate or take time off work,” said public health expert Dr. Atiya Mosam, who also worried about the large population without clean water or sanitation or vulnerable from HIV or tuberculosis. Others asked how a person can self-quarantine in a crowded slum. The continent has several of the world’s fastest-growing cities.

Despite widespread calls for “social distancing,” a cashier at a popular pharmacy in Johannesburg confided that some customers found it rude when she suggested they swipe their payment cards themselves to limit contact. Elsewhere in the store a shopper determinedly filled a cardboard box with “anti-germ” soap, and hand sanitizer was out of stock despite calls to stop panic buying.

Yesterday, sub-Saharan Africa saw its second death from COVID-19, in Burkina Faso, which has one of the continent’s highest numbers of cases but has not imposed measures such as closing borders or banning religious services. Sudan previously reported a death. In Kenya, police said a man accused of having the coronavirus was beaten to death. A police report obtained by The Associated Press said the man was returning home from a night out Wednesday when a group of youth approached and “took advantage of his drunkenness.”

In Ethiopia, the U.S. Embassy noted a rise in anti-foreigner sentiment after cases emerged there. “Reports indicate that foreigners have been attacked with stones, denied transportation services, being spat on, chased on foot, and been accused of being infected with COVID-19,” a security alert said.

Underneath the panic caused by Coronavirus and the fall out of OPEC+ lies opportunity for African oil producers – NJ Ayuk

Africa’s most populous country, Nigeria, announced restrictions on the entry of travelers from countries with more than 1,000 coronavirus cases, including China and the U.S., and suspended visas on arrival for their citizens. Nigeria has had eight cases of the virus; all in people recently arrived from abroad — one of the latest a 6-week-old baby. The country said one of the new patients, an American, had entered via a land border, a first. Three other African nations announced their first virus cases: Gambia, Zambia and Djibouti. Thirty-three of Africa’s 54 countries now have cases, with a total of about 529 as at yesterday.

Somalia, which announced its first case this week, closed schools and universities for two weeks and warned against public gatherings as the country with one of Africa’s weakest health systems tries to stop the virus’ spread. “This is really a very scary moment,” said Hassan Kafi, a medical student in the capital, Mogadishu. The country has suffered from nearly three decades of conflict. Uganda, which has no cases, banned travel to the worst-affected countries. It also suspended religious gatherings and restricted the number of people at weddings to 10 in a country known for mass ceremonies. Health experts from some 20 African nations participated in a video conference with doctors in China on how to contain the virus. “This is an extremely important step in terms of knowledge share,” said Kenya’s cabinet health secretary, Mutahi Kagwe.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Africa’s Economies Will be Hardest Hit by Coronavirus Outbreak

February 1, 2020

World Health Organisation’s Africa emergency response program manager Michel Yao

Africa stands to lose more from the Coronavirus outbreak than other regions of the world. This stems primarily from Africa deep linkages with China which has blossomed in the last decade.

The most hit sectors are likely to be aviation, tourism and hospitality industry, infrastructure development as thousands of Chinese engineers and technicians are involved in projects in over 35 African countries and Oil and Gas sector.

As at last count, over four African airlines have stopped flights to China. Kenya’s national carrier on yesterday announced a suspension of all flights to and from China, as a precautionary measure against the spread of coronavirus.

Kenya Airways says it is working with the country’s health and foreign ministries to determine the length of the suspension.

RwandAir, Air Madagascar, Air Mauritus and Royal Air Maroc have also suspended flights to mainland China, where the coronavirus has killed over 200 people. These airlines said the suspensions are indefinite and offered re-funds or re-routes to passengers who had booked flights to China.

On the other hand, Africa’s largest aviation operator, Ethiopian Airlines which has flights to more than two Chinese cities said it would continue to operate all its flights to China, adding that it was working with relevant authorities to “protect its passengers and crew” from the virus.

Equally at risk are Africa’s petroleum exporting countries many of which depends wholly on crude oil export to fund their budgets such as Nigeria, Angola, Equatorial Guinea, South Sudan, among others. With crude oil losing over $8 in the last one week, and fears of continued price slide, many of these countries will suffer huge budget deficits.

Nigeria’s 2020 Budget was planned based on a crude oil price of $57-$60 band, if this disease continues unabated for the next two weeks, there are fears that crude oil may get to as low as $40 per barrel, which would put Nigeria’s fiscal position at great risk.

The coronavirus was confirmed in the Chinese city on January 7, 2020. Cases have since been confirmed in several other Asian countries, Europe and the United States.

The World Health Organisation’s Africa emergency response program manager Michel Yao advised health ministers in the region to activate standard flu screening at airports for passengers coming from mainland China.

There is a considerable community of students in China from African countries, and a number of them have expressed their desire to return home as authorities struggle to contain the virus. Other countries across the world are considering the option of evacuating their citizens.

Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria and Uganda among other countries have started implementing surveillance and screening at airports, especially for travelers arriving from Wuhan in China where the outbreak began in December.

Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that range from the common cold to MERS coronavirus, which is Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus and SARS, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus.

Fortunately, Ivory Coast suspected case returned negative with the health ministry assuring on Wednesday that the said suspected case of coronavirus in the country had tested negative.

A student who had travelled from Beijing to Abidjan over the weekend had shown flu-like symptoms, ‘coughing, sneezing and experienced difficulty breathing’.

In a statement, the Ivorian health ministry said that tests by research institutes in Ivory Coast and France had come back negative for the virus.

According to the ministry, the 34-year-old student who was quarantined while tests were carried out is being treated for her symptoms and is recovering well.If the results had been positive, this would have been the first confirmed case in Africa.

Furthermore, Mozambique’s cabinet within the week decided to temporarily suspend the issuance of visas on arrival for travelers from China, as one of the measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.

The overall impact of this pandemic on Africa’s economy is likely to be more severe than earlier suspected even as many countries are yet to set up emergency centres dedicated to Coronavirus.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry

Tanzania and World Health Organisation (WHO) Trade Words Over Ebola Claims

September 22, 2019

The Tanzanian government has hit out at the World Health Organisation (WHO) over claims that the country is failing to provide information on suspected cases of Ebola in Tanzania, which the global health body claim is the risk of hindering the fight against the spread of the virus, which has already killed more than 2,000 people in the region. According to WHO, a suspected case of Ebola was reported in the capital city of Dar es Salaam recently and contacts of this patient, who tested positive for hemorrhagic fever, have been quarantined. The WHO went on to say that aside this suspected patient, two other suspected cases have been reported informally while the health authorities in Tanzania have failed to provide further details on the cases, WHO noted.

Responding, Tanzanian health authorities has assured the world body that contrary to their claims, that there was no Ebola in the country, while refusing a “secondary confirmation test” at a WHO centre, according to the UN Health Organization, even though they reported to WHO that a contact of the patient was sick and hospitalized. The World Health Organisation warned that inspite of these evidence clinical details and results of the investigation, including laboratory tests performed for differential diagnosis of these patients, have not been reported to them. Also because of insufficient information received by WHO, it is unable to carry hypotheses about the possible cause of the disease. WHO further warned that the that the initial patient travelled extensively in Tanzania and the uncertainty and lack of information surrounding these cases, which, if confirmed, would represent the very first Ebola epidemic in the country, meant that the risk was considered very high at the national level.

Since the Ebola outbreak in Democratic Republic of Congo over a year ago which lead to the death of over 2100 people, Eat African countries have been at an alert. It could be recalled that four people were earlier diagnosed as carriers of the virus in Uganda and they subsequently died.

But Tanzania has come out strongly to refute the allegations of harbouring an Ebola case in the country by formally telling the World Health Organisation (WHO), it had conducted investigations on suspicious cases and ruled out the deadly virus. The Ministry of Health of Tanzania has assured the citizenry not to panic as there is no Ebola outbreak in Tanzania.

The WHO announcement came a day after the head of a U.S. government health agency traveled to Tanzania at the direction of America’s health secretary, Alex Azar. Azar criticized Tanzania last week for not sharing information, saying on Monday he was aware of a death in Tanzania and that the government had reported two suspected cases who tested negative for Ebola. He specifically said that the government of Tanzania, however, has not made available the samples or the ability to test the index case of the individual who died, nor has it made available any other information. He called on Tanzania to comply with international obligations to share information and allow independent verification of test results.

But in a swift reaction, the Minister of Health of Tanzania, Ummy Mwalimu insist that the Tanzanian government has investigated two recent cases of unknown illnesses, but they were not Ebola.She however, did not say if the two cases investigated included the death of the woman.

Kelechi Deca

Kelechi Deca has over two decades of media experience, he has traveled to over 77 countries reporting on multilateral development institutions, international business, trade, travels, culture, and diplomacy. He is also a petrol head with in-depth knowledge of automobiles and the auto industry.