 Tanzania
to request to join COVAX vaccine-sharing facility - WHO
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[June 17, 2021]
NAIROBI (Reuters) -Tanzania plans to
request to join the COVAX global vaccine-sharing facility, the World
Health Organisation (WHO) said on Thursday, the latest sign of the
country's change of tack following the death of its COVID-19 sceptic
president in March.
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 Former President John Magufuli had underplayed the pandemic and
expressed scepticism of vaccines, but his successor Samia Suluhu
Hassan has sought to gradually bring the country into line with
global public standards for tackling COVID-19.
The nation of more than 58 million people is one of just four
African countries that have yet to start vaccination campaigns,
according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention.
"We have received information that Tanzania is now formally working
to join the COVAX facility," Matshidiso Moeti, WHO regional director
for Africa, told a news conference.
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 Tanzanian authorities were not
immediately reachable for comment.
In another indication of the country's new
approach, its finance minister said last week
that the government has asked the International
Monetary Fund for a $571 million loan to help it
tackle the challenges caused by the pandemic.
Tanzania stopped reporting COVID-19 cases and
deaths in May 2020 and despite other policy
changes by the new president, has not resumed
reporting data.
(Reporting by Omar Mohammed;Additional reporting
and writing by Maggie Fick;Editing by Alison
Williams and Pravin Char)
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