ARUSHA, July 23 (Xinhua/GNA) – The East
African Community (EAC) has urged partner states to increase risk and crisis
communication measures to keep out Ebola fever.
Michael Katende, the acting Head of Health
at the EAC Secretariat, on Monday called on partner states to strongly
engage the communities in the border regions and traders and trade associations
in risk and crisis communication measures.
“This is particularly important, as
most of the border line is porous and difficult to control,” Katende said.
“Informal and formal traders need to
know the risk and be able to take informed decisions to minimize it and to
actively take precautions,” he said.
EAC partner states have put in place
precautionary measures to stop the spread of Ebola virus disease (EVD), into
the EAC region, he said.
“This includes vaccinating frontline
health workers, screening all travellers at points of entry including airports
and training the first responders in case of an outbreak. However, these
measures might not be sufficient,” he said.
The official expressed concern about EVD
spreading into South Sudan with its still rather weak health system, calling
upon the partner states to increase risk and crisis communication by involving
community, religious and other leaders and the media in public awareness
rising.
At the same time, the EAC Secretariat calls
upon traders and trade associations and those travelling across the border with
DRC to take extra precaution, as the EVD threat is real.
“All people crossing the border should
cooperate with immigration, health and security officials who are conducting
screening at the points of entry and should strictly follow their advice.
“Frontline health workers and members of the affected communities should accept
to be vaccinated against EVD for their own protection and to help prevent the
further spread of EVD,” he said.
The EAC secretariat official also urged
people in the affected regions to avoid unnecessary body to body contact as
this is the main way of disease transmission.
“The public should be vigilant and
immediately inform the nearest health workers when spot a person with signs of
EVD which are: fever, severe headache, body weakness, fatigue, diarrhea,
vomiting, and unexplained hemorrhage (bleeding or bruising) from various body
outlets like the nose, ears and mouth,” he said.
“This is particularly important along
the ‘green border’ where no screening measures are in place,” he added.
GNA
