Paying the price of sticking to science

Dar es Salaam. In the midst of the global battle against the spread of the novel coronavirus, a section of people in Tanzania have chosen to stick to science, however, their choice in personal and a hard one to make.

Last April, the World Health Organisation (WHO) issued its interim guidance on the use of masks in the context of coronavirus prevention, emphasizing on wearing the face masks in communities, during home care, and in health care settings in areas that have reported cases of Covid-19.

As countries around the world continue easing ease restrictions on movement, people are increasingly getting more complacent and shifting their mindset to a freer world, with experts warning this could lead to a surge in cases of the viral infection.

In Tanzania, where authorities say the country is almost coronavirus –free, the level of complacency is high. Meeting people on the streets wearing face masks or maintaining social distance and sticking to handwashing, has become a rare spectacle.

However, a few people have chosen to remain vigilant. Mr Mikaeli Saguda, a resident of Tegeta in Dar es Salaam, is one of the few Tanzanians who are sticking to the use of a face mask. He argues that a public message that has been running on radio, saying Tuendelee kuchukua tahadhari, meaning: We should stick to preventive measures, could save a life.

A negative community

But adhering to prevention is an uphill task where the community is complacent, he says.

“At times you get into a daladala [commuter bus] and everyone stares at you as if you are alien. You see, I have decided to keep wearing this face mask whenever I am in public places because I don’t see any convincing reason why I should stop,” he says

Mr Saguda, aged 56, says, “There was a time I went to a funeral and happened to be one of two people among multitudes who were putting on a face mask. One relative told me that I appeared so odd and asked me to put off the mask. I chose to leave the place, quietly.”

Human behaviour

The choice of wearing or not wearing a face mask can also be explained by human behaviour. There is an inconvenience that could be created by the mask, such as fogging up glasses and making breathing and speaking challenging.

According to an expert in digital health promotion, Dr Norman Jonas, preventive measures such as the wearing of face masks have remained as a personal choice. “Any efforts to make people adhere to such preventive measures again requires huge political back up,’’ says Dr Jonas.

“We have seen in many countries where high profile politicians, such as in the US where the president has shown publicly that he doesn’t believe in face masks. This has an impact on behavioural change,’’ he explains.

“Behavioural interventions usually take so long to be accepted by communities. For people in Tanzania to adhere to strict face mask wearing, strong political will is needed,’’ says Dr Jonas, a public health advocate who has participated in formulating the national Covid-19 Infection Prevention and Control standards of the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children.

Public health messages on Covid-19 prevention continue to run on radios, televisions and through physical campaigns in Tanzania.

Name calling

But for Ms Sarah Kabugu, a resident of Tabata, the messages might be falling on deaf ears for majority of the people who, after learning that there are no further updates on Covid-19 cases in Tanzania, they believed the disease no longer exists in the country.

Ms Kabugu, who hasn’t given up on using her face mask in public says, “Some people call me a fear monger. They say I am pretending to be healthy just because I keep wearing a face mask. I have always told them their health is a personal choice and that preventing the disease is not just for me but for the community I am living in.”

‘I know I am diabetic and according to evidence that scientists have always given out in public, people with diabetes face a higher risk of suffering from severe forms of Covid-19. This also applies for people with heart disease and other chronic illnesses,’’ says the 49 year old, a teacher.

For over the past three months, Tanzania has not released any updates on Covid-19. Until May 18, the country had recorded 509 cases of Covid-19, with 21 deaths, as global number of infections have now hit over 15 million and 489 456 confirmed deaths.

Last Tuesday, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children Professor Mabula Mchembe said, “After reviewing the current situation of Covid-19 infection in the country, we have observed a decreasing trend of admitted Covid-19 cases as evidenced by the closure of Covid-19 Isolation/Treatment Centres.”

Howver, when the Covid-19 outbreak and reporting of cases was at its peak in Tanzania, there were people who completely ignored the use face masks and other key preventive measures.

Some complained of high cost, discomfort, lack of trust but there was a high level of lack of awarness among those who have been interviewed by Your Health.

Mr Ahmed Mbowe who works at a pub at Ununio in the city, says there was no way he could afford a mask daily as he earns very little from his petty business.

According to him, the masks were being sold between Sh2000 and Sh2500 and to ensure adequate protection a person needs to change them at least twice or thrice a day.

He, however, stated that he would have liked to wear the mask all the time but they are way out of his league.

Mr Samuel Urio a fisherman at Rungwe Hotel Beach area also says he did not bother to wear the mask when it got soaked. He had been given one by his relative so he blamed his not wearing the mask on the nature of his work.

“I knew wearing mask was important and that is why when I was given I had it on but it was soaked while I was fishing and so I planned to buy another when I could sell fish and get money, but I earned little, so i didnnt buy it” he says.