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EBOLA ROW: Tanzania summons WHO official over allegations of refusing to give info on recorded cases

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EBOLA ROW: Tanzania summons WHO official over allegations of refusing to give info on recorded cases

The government of Tanzania has summoned the World Health Organization’s local representative after the UN agency, World Health Organisation (WHO) accused it of refusing to give detailed information about recorded Ebola cases in the country.

In a Twitter post on his official page on Tuesday, government spokesman Hassan Abbasi said the ministry of foreign affairs had summoned the WHO’s Tigest Ketsela Mengestu to obtain “in-depth details from the agency on reports circulating in the media”.

A short video clip was also posted on the ministry’s Twitter account, showing Dr Tigest clarifying at a meeting with Deputy Minister for Foreign Affairs Damas Ndumbaro that the WHO did not say there was Ebola in Tanzania.

The UN health agency had in a statement issued on Saturday said despite several requests “to date, clinical data, results of the investigations, possible contacts and potential laboratory tests performed … have not been communicated to WHO”.

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In another statement issued on September 18, WHO said it was formally informed by the East African country on September 14 that it had no cases of Ebola.

According to reports, a woman died on September 8 in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania’s commercial capital after exhibiting symptoms common to several diseases, including Ebola.

The patient reportedly travelled widely across the country, according to the UN agency, and individuals who came into contact with her have been quarantined.

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