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JOHANNESBURG (AP) – The World Health Organization has issued an unusual statement raising the issue of whether Tanzania was covering possible cases of the deadly Ebola virus, a source of significant concern at a recent outbreak. declared regional epidemic a rare global health emergency.
According to the statement on Saturday, the Tanzanian government "despite several requests" refuses to share the results of its investigations on a number of patients with Ebola-like symptoms and to send samples of patients to a WHO partner laboratory. .
The Tanzanian government, which said it did not have an Ebola case, could not be contacted immediately to comment on Sunday. These cases would be the first ever confirmed Ebola infections in this country of East Africa.
The UN health agency said it was informed on 10 September of the death of a suspected Ebola patient in the commercial capital of Tanzania, Dar es Salaam. One day later, unofficial information that an Ebola test was positive was received. On Thursday it was reported unofficially that a contact of the patient, who had traveled extensively in the country, was sick and had been hospitalized.
A rapid response is crucial for containing the Ebola virus, which can be fatal in 90% of cases and is most often spread through close contact with the bodily fluids of people with symptoms or contaminated objects.
The WHO statement said the lack of information from Tanzania made it difficult to assess potential risks.
The neighboring Congo-based Ebola outbreak has infected more than 3,000 people and killed nearly 2,000. A few cases have also been confirmed in neighboring Uganda, and other neighboring countries are preparing for the outbreak. to the epidemic.
This is not the first time that health authorities are asking serious questions on suspected cases in Tanzania. On Monday, US Secretary of Health and Human Services Alex Azar told reporters in Uganda that he and others were "very concerned about the lack of transparency" in Tanzania.
Criticism is growing in concern, with the government of Tanzanian President John Magufuli restricting access to vital information and repressing any alleged dissent. Legislators recently approved an amendment to a statistic law to criminalize the dissemination of information that is not sanctioned by the government or that contradicts the government.
The World Bank was among those worried about this amendment.
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Rodney Muhumuza, Associate Press Writer, contributed to Kampala, Uganda.
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