Ethiopian Informer
ADDIS ABABA (EI) — The Ethiopian Ministry of Health has announced that it has heightened Ebola virus disease preparedness measures to avert possible risk of an outbreak in the country.
Earlier this week, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) warned that in addition to the two affected countries of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and Uganda, Ethiopia and ten other countries across the continent are now at high risk, namely South Sudan, Rwanda, Kenya, Zambia, the Central African Republic, Tanzania, Angola, the Republic of the Congo, Burundi, and Somalia.
Noting that the Ebola virus disease is a highly contagious and fatal disease that is easily transmitted from person to person through contact, the ministry, in a statement issued late Monday, said no suspected or confirmed case of disease has been detected in the East African country so far.
The ministry said, although Ethiopia do not have direct border connections with the two affected countries, it has introduced coordinated measures after “recognizing the seriousness of the disease.”
These efforts, implemented in collaboration with the Ethiopian Public Health Institute and other relevant stakeholders, include strengthening inspection and screening activities at all international land entry and exit points, conducting intensive surveillance at international airports, as well as enhancing the readiness of health facilities and increasing the country’s laboratory capacity.
The ministry said it is also carrying out intensive preparatory works on the provision of necessary medical resources.
The announcement came as the Africa CDC and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda is spreading rapidly, with more than 900 suspected cases and over 200 suspected deaths.
According to the latest data from the Africa CDC, since the DRC declared its 17th Ebola outbreak on May 15, a total of 906 suspected cases and 204 probable deaths have been recorded. A total of 106 cases have been laboratory-confirmed across the two affected countries, including five in Uganda, all linked to imported cases from the DRC.
