A high-level delegation of Rwandan Government visited two border posts of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to support ongoing Ebola preparedness and response efforts.
This follows the recent detection of a second Ebola case in Goma, a city near Gisenyi on the Rwandan side.
The aim of the visit by the delegation led by the Rwandan Minister of Local Administration, Prof. Anastase Shyaka, which took place on Monday, 5 August 2019, was to confirm ongoing efforts by different stakeholders to support prevention and preparedness activities as well as to get a better understanding of the challenges on the ground.
Rwanda, which has been commended by the Word Health Organisation (WHO) on its Ebola preparedness efforts, has been on a high alert since the first case of Ebola outbreak was reported in Goma last month.
The ongoing outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest outbreak reported globally, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
According to the UN agency, the risk of transmission of the disease into countries that share borders with DRC, including Rwanda, has been classified as “very high” after the city of Goma has reported its first case in the middle of July, from a pastor who travelled to the city after his symptoms began in Butembo, and outbreak response teams have been intensively following the man’s contacts during the 21-day monitoring period.
So far, the Rwandan ministry of Health and partners have been implementing the EbPreparedness Plan, including vaccinating front-line health workers.
According to the latest figures from the WHO, cumulative Ebola cases have now reached 1 655 confirmed cases within North Kivu and Ituri provinces.
“Nearly 700 people have been cured, and more than 160 000 vaccinated,” it added.
The city of Goma shares the border with western Rwanda’s Rubavu district with daily border crossings between the two countries, estimated at about 100 000 people, according to the Rwanda Directorate General of immigration and Emigration.
– APA
