600 East African Medics for West Africa to fight Ebola
By ADAM IHUCHA --The East African community will deploy a total of 619 medical personnel to West
Africa to help fight the Ebola epidemic.
Concerned about
the ongoing widespread of Ebola virus disease that has so far claimed nearly
4,400 lives in West Africa, the EAC partner states resolved to contribute 578 health workers and 41 medical
doctors.
“Partner states committed to
contribute a team of medical experts, health workers to support Ebola virus
disease containment in West Africa” says Kenya’s Cabinet secretary for health,
James Macharia.
This is one of the resolutions of
the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health reached on Thursday during
their 10th Ordinary Meeting in Arusha, Tanzania.
According to the communiqué, Kenya
will contribute 15 medical doctors, Uganda 14, Rwanda 7, Tanzania 5, whereas
Burundi is still uncertain.
In terms of health workers, Kenya
will deploy nearly 300, as Burundi pledged 250, Uganda 21 and Rwanda 7. Tanzania is yet to announce.
Mr. Macharia said that Burundi would anytime
soon provide more information on its ratio of medical doctors and other health
workers.
“In addition to the health workers, Partner States
are considering to provide additional support in terms of funding” he
explained.
The EAC Sectoral Council also approved the EAC Regional Ebola emergency
preparedness and response plan of action.
The
council directed the EAC Secretariat to mobilize $750,000 from the EAC reserve
fund to support implementation of the plan of action.
Additionally,
the ministers endorsed the “EAC Integrated Disease Surveillance Network
(EAIDSNet)” as the regional focal point (Hub) for the “African Union Network of
Infectious Diseases (the AUNIDS)”.
Also,
the meeting sanctioned the establishment of an EAC Regional emergency preparedness
and response task force on Ebola virus disease and other communicable diseases
in the region.
The sectoral council directed the EAC Secretariat to facilitate
harmonization of the standard operating procedures (SOPs) and guidelines for screening
passengers across the borders/international ports of entry in the region in
line with international health regulations (IHR) (2005).
The purpose and scope of the IHR are "to prevent,
protect against, control and provide a public health response to the
international spread of disease in ways that are commensurate with and
restricted to public health risks, and which avoid unnecessary interference
with international traffic and trade.
The sectoral council also directed
the EAC Secretariat to convene a regional meeting of experts within ten days to
provide technical guidance on models to address the existing logistical, human
resource and infrastructural challenges of implementing regional and national
level epidemic preparedness and response actions.
Likewise the sectoral
council urged Partner States and directed the
Secretariat to implement the recommendations of the meeting of the EAC Partner
States National Civil Aviation Authorities (NCAAs) and National Airport
Authorities (NAAs) held in Entebbe, Uganda on 21st August 2014.
Entry screening for suspected cases of
Ebola virus should start immediately at international airports, seaports and
major land crossings within the region, is among the Entebbe meeting
resolutions.
Also the emergency meeting recommended
that medical advice about the disease should be provided to all travellers to
and from the high risk regions of the world.
While the aviation and airport authorities enforce the use of public health Passenger Locator Form (PLF) for contacts tracing of potentially exposed travellers, the meeting has urged airlines to carry Surveillance Forms on board to make it easier for all arriving passengers to fill in.
In addition to mechanisms that the EAC partner states have individually introduced to proactively address the matter in coordination with the health ministries, the EAC Secretariat and the World Health Organization (WHO), the meeting has recommended that they institute measures to detect, investigate and manage Ebola cases including access to qualified diagnostic laboratory, referral health services, isolation and evacuation.
All states are now required to take measures to ensure the protection from Ebola infection of passengers, airline crew and staff including those working in affected regions of West Africa.
Besides, they have to take measures to restrict international travel of EVD contacts or cases unless the travel is part of an appropriate supervised medical evacuation
While the aviation and airport authorities enforce the use of public health Passenger Locator Form (PLF) for contacts tracing of potentially exposed travellers, the meeting has urged airlines to carry Surveillance Forms on board to make it easier for all arriving passengers to fill in.
In addition to mechanisms that the EAC partner states have individually introduced to proactively address the matter in coordination with the health ministries, the EAC Secretariat and the World Health Organization (WHO), the meeting has recommended that they institute measures to detect, investigate and manage Ebola cases including access to qualified diagnostic laboratory, referral health services, isolation and evacuation.
All states are now required to take measures to ensure the protection from Ebola infection of passengers, airline crew and staff including those working in affected regions of West Africa.
Besides, they have to take measures to restrict international travel of EVD contacts or cases unless the travel is part of an appropriate supervised medical evacuation
