Vaccine-averse Tanzania told to follow science

Nidhogg Resources Holding AB (publ)

28/01/2021 10:44

NAIROBI, Jan 28 (Reuters) - The World Health Organization
(WHO) urged Tanzania on Thursday to follow science, a day after
its president said COVID-19 vaccines were dangerous and
unnecessary if people trusted God and used alternative remedies
such as inhaling steam.
    President John Magufuli's contradiction of the global
medical consensus and his government's failure to publish
national coronavirus data since mid-2020 has exasperated health
experts. 
    "Urging #Tanzania to ramp up public health measures such as
wearing masks to fight #COVID19," tweeted Matshidiso Moeti,
Africa director for the WHO.
    "Science shows that #VaccinesWork and I encourage the
government to prepare for a COVID vaccination campaign."
    On Wednesday, Magufuli said, without evidence, that vaccines
may be part of a foreign plot to spread illness and steal
Africa's wealth.  urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL1N2K21FV
    "We in Tanzania managed to stay for a year without corona.
Even here, no one has put on a mask. Our God is beyond Satan and
Satan will always fail using different diseases," he said in a
speech in his western home area. 
    Previously, Magufuli has also scoffed at imported testing
kits, saying they returned positive results on a goat and fruit.
    Tanzania has not published nationwide figures since May 8,
when it had 509 cases and 21 deaths.
    "Data-sharing by #Tanzania is also key, with cases surfacing
among travellers and visitors over the months," said WHO
Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a tweet echoing
Moeti's remarks.

 (Reporting by George Obulutsa and Omar Mohammed; Writing by
Andrew Cawthorne; Editing by Alex Richardson)
 ((andrew.cawthorne@thomsonreuters.com;))