DAR ES SALAAM, May 18 (Xinhua) -- The East African Community (EAC) on Monday called on its member states to heighten surveillance, strengthen emergency preparedness and intensify cross-border coordination following an Ebola virus disease outbreak in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
Andrea Malueth, EAC deputy secretary general for infrastructure, productive, social and political sectors, said the outbreak underscored the persistent threat posed by epidemic-prone diseases and highlighted the need for regional solidarity and preparedness.
The EAC urged member states to activate national and cross-border preparedness plans, enhance screening and surveillance at points of entry, and ensure health workers and rapid response teams are adequately equipped and trained to detect and respond to suspected cases.
The regional bloc, which comprises Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, Somalia, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda, said it is working closely with national ministries of health, regional institutions, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the World Health Organization and development partners to strengthen pandemic prevention, preparedness and response capacities.
It said efforts include the rapid activation of the EAC mobile laboratory network to support cross-border surveillance along the DRC border, with the Uganda Virus Research Institute serving as the EAC Regional Center of Excellence in collaboration with the Bernhard Nocht Institute for Tropical Medicine to reinforce laboratory diagnostic response in the region.
Ebola virus disease is a severe and often fatal illness transmitted through direct contact with the bodily fluids of infected individuals, contaminated materials, infected animals or the remains of Ebola victims.
On May 15, the DRC government confirmed a 17th Ebola outbreak since the disease was first identified in 1976 near the Ebola River, with the latest outbreak centered in Ituri Province, which borders Uganda and South Sudan. ■
