World Health Organization: Case of COVID-19 confirmed in Tanzania

The Ministry of Health, Community Health Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MOHCDGEC) in Tanzania has reported the country’s first case of COVID-19. A 46-year old female believed to have contracted the virus in Belgium was identified by the authorities on 15 March 2020.

The case was confirmed on 16 March 2020 early morning by the National Influenza Centre at the National Health Quality Assurance Training Laboratory. The patient landed at Kilimanjaro International Airport on 15 March 2020, 4 pm returning from Belgium. She left the country on 3 March 2020 and visited a number of countries including Sweden, Denmark and Belgium. Upon return she self-isolated herself and presented to Mount Meru Hospital for testing.

Tanzania is one of the 47 countries in the World Health Organization (WHO) African region. This is among the 175 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the WHO African region. So far there have been confirmed cases in 24 countries: Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Cote d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Kenya, Kingdom of Eswatini, Liberia, Mauritania, Namibia, Nigeria, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Senegal, Seychelles, South Africa and Togo.

WHO continues to provide technical and material support to countries in Africa, including the United Republic of Tanzania since the COVID-19 outbreak was declared to be a public health emergency of international concern, and subsequently a global pandemic. WHO has provided testing kits to national laboratories as well as training to laboratory technicians. WHO has dispatched personal protective equipment for health workers, as well as thermometers and other essential supplies for screening and handling suspect cases at airports and other points of entry.

While there is still much to learn about COVID-19, people can take actions to prevent the disease through simple, day-to-day measures. These include improved hand hygiene practices including regular hand washing with soap and water or the use of alcohol based hand sanitizers; cough etiquette by coughing into a disposable tissue or a bent elbow, being sure to safely dispose of the tissue afterwards; maintaining a social distance of at least one meter, particularly if that person is coughing; avoiding touching the eyes, nose and mouth; and seeking medical attention early if a person develops a fever or cough.