Members of Doctors Without Borders NGO set up an Ebola treatment isolation unit at the Mubende Regional Referral Hospital in Uganda on September 24, 2022. PHOTO | BADRU KATUMBA | AFP
Last week, Kenya announced it would keep its border points with Uganda despite the ongoing Ebola outbreak.
Understandably, the Nairobi gesture is informed by the need for uninterrupted movement and goods across the region, given the strategic importance of Kenya as a key transit route from Mombasa port to its landlocked East African neighbours.
Health director-general Patrick Amoth assured that Kenya would put in place measures at the entry points to contain the spread of the viral disease. We call for stringent surveillance at our borders to ensure that surveillance and screening effectively keep the virus at bay.
So far, Uganda has done its part in battling the Ebola virus by imposing a 21-day lockdown in the central districts of Mubende and Kassanda to tame the outbreak that has claimed 19 lives in the neighbouring country.
The government should step up campaigns to educate Kenyans, especially the borders and frequent travellers in the region, on the need to take precautions and seek urgent medical attention should they notice symptoms linked to the deadly virus.
Public hospitals at the borders should also be well-equipped to handle emergencies. Health ministry should also deploy medical kits and personal protective equipment to protect health workers.
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