East African communities hold emergency meeting to coordinate response to Ebola outbreak.

According to the plan, the East African Community (EAC) will hold an emergency meeting of health ministers from June 1-2 to coordinate the response to the Ebola outbreak.

Medical personnel carry out disinfection to prevent the spread of Ebola in Bunia, Ituri province, Democratic Republic of Congo. (Photo: THX/VNA)

On May 31, the Director-General of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (ACDC), Jean Kaseya, announced that as of May 30, 263 cases of Ebola virus infection had been confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda. More than 1,100 suspected cases were being investigated, and 43 people had died from the rare Bundibugyo strain.

According to the head of ACDC, national emergency response mechanisms need to be activated quickly, and long-term investment policies are needed to prepare for pandemics instead of implementing temporary measures. Mr. Kaseya emphasized that support from international partners is crucial, but most effective when implemented in line with strategies developed by African institutions and governments .

This is the 17th major Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo since the disease was first discovered about half a century ago, and one of the most serious outbreaks in the history of this Central African nation.

Health officials and aid workers say the rate of spread is exceeding current response capabilities. Many health facilities lack even basic supplies like protective masks because the disease had been silently spreading for weeks before being detected.

Meanwhile, in Brazil, two patients from African countries who had recently arrived in Brazil were isolated after exhibiting symptoms related to the Ebola virus, raising concerns about the virus spreading beyond the African continent.

Authorities in the state of Sao Paulo reported that a 37-year-old man who had recently traveled to the Democratic Republic of Congo exhibited symptoms such as fever, signs suggestive of Ebola infection. He has been isolated at the Emilio Ribas Institute for Infectious Diseases in Sao Paulo. The patient has been diagnosed with a severe form of meningitis, and further tests are underway to screen for the Ebola virus.

The Sao Paulo state government stated that, despite the suspected case, "technical assessments indicate that the risk of the disease spreading to Brazil and South America remains very low."

Another man has been quarantined in Rio de Janeiro and is exhibiting "viral symptoms such as cough, chills, and diarrhea." He had also traveled to Uganda on May 22nd. According to Rio City Hall, the man tested positive for malaria, but "this case is still under investigation."

Previously, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that the true extent of the outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, believed to have spread before being detected, could be much wider.

According to the plan, the East African Community (EAC) will hold an emergency meeting of health ministers from June 1-2 to coordinate the region's response to the Ebola outbreak.

The meeting will focus on strategies to contain outbreaks caused by the rare Bundibugyo strain, for which there is currently no licensed vaccine or specific treatment.

The EAC warned that the disease is concentrated in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, particularly in Ituri province, an area with a high rate of movement, raising concerns about further spread in the region.

EAC Secretary-General Stephen Mbundi said the bloc is strengthening its preparedness through coordinated surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, infection prevention and risk communication. According to Mr. Mbundi, the EAC is working closely with member states, the ACDC, and the World Health Organization (WHO) to prevent cross-border transmission and protect public health.

Key interventions include deploying nine mobile laboratories at strategic border points, activating a team of more than 180 rapid response specialists, and providing specialized training for healthcare workers. The EAC is also providing personal protective equipment and promoting plans for a regional framework to expedite the approval of Ebola vaccines and diagnostics.

The EAC calls on member states to strengthen monitoring, raise public awareness, and improve emergency preparedness measures.

VNA

Source: https://nhandan.vn/cong-dong-dong-phi-hop-khan-de-phoi-hop-ung-pho-dich-ebola-post966232.html