JUBA, Oct. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan has stepped up nationwide preparedness and surveillance against Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus after neighboring Kenya confirmed an imported case, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday.
No cases have been detected in the country and the health system has been placed on high alert, according to the ministry.
The ministry said this heightened posture is a proactive response to increased regional mobility and vital trade corridors linking South Sudan with affected areas in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), as well as key transit routes through Kenya and Uganda.
"The geographical expansion of the outbreak to Kenya further increases the risk of cross-border spread and underscores the urgent need for heightened vigilance at points of entry," Caretaker Minister for Health Dak Duop Bichiok told a press conference in Juba, the capital.
The ministry said South Sudan has reactivated its Ebola preparedness and response system, with screening being conducted at points of entry, along the border in 15 high-risk counties and at Juba International Airport.
Ader Machar Aciek, acting executive director of the National Public Health Institute, announced that a dedicated national task force has been established and is convening regular sessions to coordinate ongoing preparedness operations.
Aciek noted that South Sudan has established eight specialized infectious disease units dedicated to isolation and clinical case management should any cases be confirmed.
Moses Ongom, World Health Organization (WHO) Officer in Charge in South Sudan, said that national response preparedness has climbed significantly, rising from 29 percent in May and 45 percent in June to 65 percent currently.
Ongom emphasized that infectious disease control units and response capabilities have been reinforced in priority zones, while urging local communities to remain vigilant and immediately report suspected cases.
Tolbert Geewleh Nyenswah, country director for the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) in South Sudan, said the country has active systems for surveillance, detection, rapid response and laboratory testing.
Nyenswah added that the Africa CDC and the WHO are actively coordinating a regional incident management support mechanism based in Kampala.
Nyenswah said the mechanism is designed to strengthen cross-border cooperation among countries affected by or bordering the DRC.
The Ministry of Health has urged the public to remain calm yet vigilant, practice regular hand hygiene, and avoid direct contact with individuals exhibiting symptoms associated with Ebola.
It said anyone with suspected symptoms, including fever, vomiting, diarrhea or unexplained bleeding, should report to the nearest health facility or call the toll-free emergency hotline 6666. ■
