A number of countries around the world have made up official coronavirus statistics, shared artificially sunny views of the pandemic, or cracked down on reports that contradict the official narrative.
Zoom in: But no country has denied the coronavirus as much as Tanzania – which not only denies having a single case, but also rejects vaccines.
- Even North Korea, which has reported zero cases, will receive vaccines from the COVAX initiative. So is Turkmenistan, which is officially COVID-free but will soon launch its vaccination campaign with Russia’s Sputnik V.
- President John Magufuli says Tanzania doesn’t need vaccines, and they don’t work anyway: “If the white man could come up with vaccinations, he should have found a vaccination against AIDS, cancer and tuberculosis by now.”
- His government has instead recommended herbal remedies, steam treatments, and a ginger and onion smoothie to prevent infections.
Reality check: Magufuli’s COVID populism is dangerous for several reasons.
- Tanzanians are dying. In busy hospitals, patients using oxygen will succumb to what will be officially recorded as “acute pneumonia,” reports The Continent.
- The virus is crossing borders. The government’s decision to reject vaccines and make any testing and tracking system nearly impossible could be dangerous for Tanzania’s neighbors and potentially the world.
The other side: Doctors and journalists have tried to spread the risk, mostly anonymously for fear of retaliation, and the Catholic Church has recently raised the alarm.