South Sudan and World Health Organization (WHO), say they have stepped up Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) preparedness and response readiness in the high-risk counties of Morobo and Yei River, Central Equatorial state.
Fabian Ndenzako, WHO Representative for South Sudan in a joint statement issued in Juba said the UN agency had started developing a response plan and mobilizing resources to ensure that required preparedness and readiness priority activities were implemented.
“We must start working together with partners, mobilize necessary resources and remain ready to detect, report, investigate and respond to any suspicious cases and deaths.’’
Ndenzako reiterated the WHO’s commitment to supporting enhanced national capacities for preparedness, surveillance and response to preserve national and international public health security.
“South Sudan’s Ministry of Health, WHO and partners have been scaling up preparedness and response readiness capacities in the high-risk counties which share direct borders with DRC’s North Kivu Province since the EVD outbreak was declared.’’
WHO said it supported the Ministry of Health to deploy a multidisciplinary team of epidemiologists, clinicians and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) officers and risk communication experts to Morobo and Yei River counties to strengthen coordination, surveillance, IPC, and risk communication activities.
Yona Kenyi, State Surveillance Officer at the Central Equatorial State’s health department said the ongoing EVD transmission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo puts South Sudan at risk.
Kenyi said South Sudan must remain vigilant and prepared to respond to any potential EVD case.
“Although no case of Ebola has been confirmed in South Sudan, one suspect case of Ebola has been investigated from Yambio and tested negative for Ebola and Marburg virus following tests in the National Public Health Laboratory.’’ (Xinhua/NAN).
