This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
Published on August 8, 2020, the African Union is growing increasingly concerned about Tanzania's lack of transparency regarding COVID-19 data.
Tanzania's health minister, in early July, stated that the virus was 'heading towards an end', a claim that has raised eyebrows within the international community.
President Magufuli's declaration of the country being Covid-19 free, for the second time, has further fueled concerns.
Dr. John Nkengasong, director of the AU's Centres for Disease and Control (Africa CDC), expressed frustration with Tanzania's response, stating, 'We continue to reach out [to Tanzania] but we're not having the right responses.'
The government of Tanzania has taken drastic measures to suppress information about the pandemic, shutting down media houses that report on the outbreak.
President Uhuru Kenyatta of Kenya indirectly accused Magufuli of withholding COVID-19 data to create a favorable perception.
Tanzania's government dismissed a US embassy warning in May that hospitals in Dar es Salaam were 'overwhelmed' and that the chances of contracting the virus were 'extremely high'.
As presidential campaigns in Tanzania get underway, the lack of transparency regarding COVID-19 data has become a pressing concern.
South Africa and Egypt have reported the highest numbers of cases, accounting for 75% of all new cases by mid-July.
The Africa CDC is closely monitoring Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Ethiopia, Sudan, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, as these countries have reported significant increases in cases.
More than 65% of Africa's 55 countries have reported fewer than 5,000 cases, according to the Africa CDC.
