ADDIS ABABA, Aug. 7 (Xinhua) -- Effective implementation of the newly agreed immediate priority action plan between the government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) and its partners will help contain the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC, the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) has said.
Addressing an online media briefing on Thursday, Africa CDC Director-General Jean Kaseya said that establishing a village-centered community response approach is a priority among the immediate measures agreed upon during a high-level crisis meeting convened in Kinshasa, the capital of the DRC, on Wednesday.
The meeting, chaired by DRC President Felix Tshisekedi, brought together the Africa CDC chief, the World Health Organization (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, and representatives of key international partners to address the worsening Ebola situation, according to the Africa CDC.
"We have now decided to bring the outbreak response at village level, not at provincial, health zone, or district levels, but at the village level," Kaseya said.
According to Kaseya, the priority actions also include implementing free healthcare, stabilizing the essential health workforce, developing an integrated health and humanitarian plan, and accelerating the digital transformation of the response.
The priorities also entail safeguarding the planned reopening of schools next month, accelerating critical research and development of Ebola vaccines and therapeutics, and intensifying essential cross-border cooperation.
"Children must go back to school, and we have decided not to stop that. We will put in place a number of measures" to avert any potential spread of the virus as schools reopen, Kaseya said, stressing that implementation of these priorities will commence immediately. ■