Tanzania government, CDC chief hold talks over global health security

Dar es Salaam. The director of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Dr Robert Redfield, yesterday held talks with the government on how to control disease epidemics in the context of Global Health Security.

The ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children confirmed the meeting on its official Twitter handle yesterday saying “United States and Tanzania would continue cooperating in areas of disease control under Global Health Security [protocols).”

The meeting comes on the heels of a confirmation by the World Health Organisation (WHO) stating it had received a formal notification from the Tanzanian government reporting that there was no case of Ebola in the country.

However, the WHO released a statement saying “The Tanzanian authorities did not indicate what the cause of the illnesses might have been.”

Tanzania Health minister Ummy Mwalimu on Saturday last week told reporters in Dar es Salaam that no case of Ebola had been confirmed but cited two suspected patients from Mwanza and Dar es Salaam whom she said had tested negative for the Ebola Viral Disease (EVD).

The CDC director yesterday travelled to Tanzania at the request of the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, Mr Alex Azar, a statement released by CDC said.

CDC said that Dr Redfield would focus on how the US can collaborate with Tanzania to support its efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious diseases. Reports which went viral on social media since Thursday indicated that the government had requested $9.5 million from the WHO for Ebola preparedness.

In a letter headed, “Emergency Request for Fund to support Tanzania’s country preparedness and operational readiness against Ebola threat: The Sum of $9.5 million,” the government requested the WHO Representative to Tanzania to support the health interventions in reference to the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.