OMM Newsroom
African health ministers have agreed to keep borders open despite a rapidly expanding Ebola outbreak, the head of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) said Thursday, according to Anadolu Agency.
The decision followed a high-level virtual meeting convened by the Africa CDC to assess the outbreak and discuss stronger cross-border coordination. More than 40 ministers attended the emergency meeting, held as the outbreak caused by the Bundibugyo strain spread geographically.
Four countries have been affected so far: Congo, Uganda, Kenya and Nigeria. The ministers agreed to prepare every country and work together across borders to prevent further spread of the virus.
The outbreak has claimed nearly 5,000 lives since May, mainly in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Confirmed cases have exceeded 10,170, with a case fatality rate of 48.5%, according to the Africa CDC.
“I stood before more than 40 African Ministers and said what the data tells us: we are not winning so far,” Kaseya said. “Together, we agreed to prepare every country, coordinate across our borders and keep those borders open while watching them closely. Our partners are standing behind Africa’s plan.”
Kaseya told ministers the outbreak had grown over the past five months from a national crisis into a continental health security test. He said stopping Ebola on the continent was the main priority, while insecurity, complex humanitarian situations and limited funding remained challenges.
Uganda reports 20 confirmed cases
Uganda’s Health Minister, Chris Baryomunsi, said his country’s experience showed that transmission could be interrupted when countries act early and decisively.
The World Health Organization declared Uganda free of Ebola in August. The country reported 20 confirmed cases after the outbreak was declared in May.
Ten other countries listed as at risk
The Africa CDC has warned that 10 other African countries are “at risk” of being affected following the outbreak in Congo: Rwanda, Kenya, Tanzania, Angola, Burundi, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Congo, Ethiopia, South Sudan and Zambia.
