Kenya’s Daily Nation has today reported that an African leader is admitted at a Nairobi hospital, reportedly struggling to recover from COVID-19.
Nation does not identify the leader, who is said to be on a ventilator, but goes ahead to give details about the laissez-faire attitude Tanzania has taken in handling the COVID-19 pandemic. It also mentions that the leader was last seen in public, launching mega-projects two weeks ago.
The only East African leader who has not been seen in public in the past two weeks is Tanzania’s John Pombe Magufuli ‘The bulldozer’.
The leader of an African country who has not appeared in public for nearly two weeks is admitted to Nairobi Hospital for Covid-19 treatment, even as his government remains mum on his whereabouts.
Tanzania’s exiled opposition leader Tundu Lissu retweeted the Nation story, saying he believed it was Magufuli that had been hospitalized.
“It’s a sad comment on his stewardship of our country that it’s come to this: that he himself got COVID-19 and flown out to Kenya in order to prove that prayers, steam inhalations and other unproven herbal concoctions he’s championed are no protection against coronavirus,” Tundu Lissu said.
No masks in Tanzania
The other East African leaders have been in public in the past one week.
Uganda’s President Yoweri Museveni presided over Women’s Day celebrations and was live on TV two days ago, while Rwanda’s Paul Kagame had high-level discussions with delegations soon after the country got COVID-19 vaccines early this week.
Late last month, the World Health Organization Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus reached out to COVID-19 skeptic Magufuli, promising to support the country’s health system.
Magufuli has ignored all Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) recommended by the WHO, including use of masks, and believes COVID-19 can be fought using natural remedies and prayers. He at one time declared Tanzania COVID-19 free.
“COVID-19 is a serious disease that can cause severe illness and even death. National authorities everywhere must do all they can to protect people and save lives and WHO stands ready to support them in the response against this deadly virus,” Dr Tedros said in a statement on the situation in Tanzania.
There was a change thereafter, with Magufuli warning citizens to be careful, and the finance Minister Philip Mpango was shown on TV ill, but also urging Tanzanians to follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPS) to prevent COVID-19.
“A number of Tanzanians travelling to neighbouring countries and beyond have tested positive for COVID-19. This underscores the need for Tanzania to take robust action both to safeguard their own people and protect populations in these countries and beyond,” warned Dr Tedros
The WHO chief added that, “This situation remains very concerning. I renew my call for Tanzania to start reporting COVID-19 cases and share data. I also call on Tanzania to implement the public health measures that we know work in breaking the chains of transmission, and to prepare for vaccination.”
Dr Tedros’ statement followed the death in the past week of Tanzania’s First Vice-President Seif Sharif Hamad, reportedly after being admitted with COVID-19.
Magufuli’s position remains odd in East Africa, where Uganda’s President Museveni and Kenya’s Uhuru Kenyatta have set the pace in Africa, with tough measures to control the pandemic. The two neigbouring countries have undergone months of a complete lock-down, with mask use promoted extensively by the government.
Uganda’s Museveni has twice been to Tanzania in the past six months, and on both occasions, while he wore a mask, Magufuli and his entire cabinet, were mask-less.
Will Tanzania receive WHO free vaccines?
Tanzania could miss out on a global vaccination campaign of epic proportions in history that has got the funding needed to take off.
Uganda to benefit from free vaccines via COVAX
Since most developing countries cannot compete on an open market for the COVID-19 vaccines, World Health Organization has planned joint purchases for these nations in an initiative that also has vaccines alliance GAVI and CEPI- Coalition for Epidemic Preparedness Innovations – a global coalition to fight epidemics
This is supported by funds from wealthy nations in a program dubbed COVAX, one of three pillars of the Access to COVID-19 Tools Accelerator that focusses on developing a COVID-19 vaccine.
It is seen as the only global solution to the pandemic which will ensure that people in all corners of the world will get access to COVID-19 vaccines once they are available, regardless of their wealth.
A total of 156 economies representing nearly two-thirds of the world’s population have joined the COVAX Facility. This includes 64 higher-income economies, which are self-financing in procuring COVID-19 vaccines once available, and 92 low- and middle-income economies eligible for support for the procurement of vaccines through the COVAX Advance Market Commitment (AMC) coordinated by the Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, a financing instrument aimed at supporting the procurement of vaccines for these countries.