WHO thinks Tanzania may be hiding info on Ebola cases

World Health Organization.
(Image credit: ED JONES/AFP/Getty Images)

The World Health Organization in a statement Saturday accused Tanzania of withholding information about suspected Ebola cases in the country.

The U.N. agency was made aware of the suspected cases in Tanzania earlier this month, but WHO was then prevented from participating in blood samples testing. The Tanzania government then reportedly informed the organization that Ebola had been ruled out, although they did not offer any alternative diagnoses.

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Tanzania has never reported a case of Ebola, The Washington Post reports, noting that tourism is a major driver in the nation's economy, so fears that the presence of the disease could lead to trip cancellations may exist.

U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar has previously urged Tanzania to "comply with its obligation under the International Health Regulations" and allow for independent verification of the circumstances surrounding the doctor's death. The current Ebola outbreak began in August 2018. While new cases have occurred rapidly, they have mostly remained confined to provinces in eastern Congo. Read more at The Washington Post.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.