By Bida Elly David
The National Ministry of Health yesterday said South Sudan is at risk after one Ebola case was confirmed and detected in Uganda and called on citizens to be alert and to abstain from feasting on wild meat to combat the virus.
This development came following a comprehensive briefing on the position of South Sudan in regards to contracting the virus due to a very close proximity with Uganda.
Ebola Virus has been a trending complication that impeded most African Countries as mortality rate speeded up in large number driven from bleeding symptoms at the final stage.
Speaking during a media briefing, Dr. Victoria Anib, the Undersecretary of the National Ministry of health said they have activated an incident management system to detect or examine such cases and pointed out immediate deployment of response team to border towns bordering Uganda for emergency.
She said rapid response team deployment to Nimule and Yambio will on Wednesday be carried out for assessment at the points of entry.
“We have activated the incident management system led by Dr. John Rumunu. We have taken some steps from tomorrow (Wednesday). Two teams will be deployed to border towns of Yambio and Nimule so that they are able to do the assessment given the fact that they are in the border,” she said.
“In the next two days, we will be looking at other borders. We will be working together with our partners to do health promotion messages on Ebola virus disease,” she added.
Dr. Anib stated that her ministry shall engage in continuous communication with the Ugandan Ministry of Health for latest information concerning the virus.
She underscored that any detected symptoms of fever or bleeding from any citizen should be reported immediately to any nearest health facility for medical attention.
“We will be conducting daily updates and meetings with our partners and stakeholders as well as communicating with our neighboring Country, Ministry of health Uganda to share information,” she noted.
“The citizens should be alert, most importantly those in the border town have to watch out. If there is any suspected person with fever, bleeding or any symptoms, they need to present it to the nearest facility for assessment. And also people should avoid eating bush meat because it is one of the causes of Ebola infection,” she cautioned the public.
For his part, Dr. Joseph Lasu, the director for emergency preparedness and response at the National Ministry of Health said a 24 year old man after a sample was confirmed positive of Ebola virus disease emerging from Sudan strain.
“It is just today that the Ministry of Health in Uganda released a press statement on the outbreak of Ebola in Mududu sub-county of Mubende district. Mubende district is located at South-Western part of Uganda. On the 15th -9-2022, a 24 year old male presented symptoms of high grade fever, convulsion, blood vomitus and diarrhea among other symptoms and signs. On the 18-9-2022, sample was taken and the result came out on the 19, September confirming Ebola virus disease of the Sudan strain,” he said.
He said the Northern part of Uganda especially Gulu and the Democratic Republic of Congo have been impeded by the outbreak causing mortality cases.
Lasu warned that South Sudan would be a victim to the virus due to its proximity to these Countries.
However, Dr. Fabian Ndezako, the representative of the World Health Organization (WHO) to South Sudan reiterated their commitment towards harmonizing with the ministry of health to combat the tragic virus and urged government to speed up with awareness initiative on the incident.
He further applauded the initiative taken by the ministry to deploy emergency response team to ensure speedy awareness of the people at the border concerning the virus.