EAC to send 600 medics to tackle Ebola

Arusha. The EAC partner states will deploy about 600 healthcare workers to the Ebola-stricken countries in West Africa, according to Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mr James Macharia.

Some 4,400 people have died so far from the epidemic, which has had a devastating economic and social impact--more so in Liberia, which has just come out of a long and debilitating civil war.

Yet the response has often been knee-jerk and counter-productive, such as closing borders and cancelling flights. Both the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) and the World Health Organisation (WHO) have denounced those steps. The announcement comes at a time when five Tanzanian doctors have voluntarily travelled to West Africa to assist in the fight against the virus, which has no specific cure.

                           
Mr Macharia said the EAC Sectoral Council of Ministers of Health he chaired expressed concern during its 10th ordinary meeting and resolved to send a team of medical doctors and other healthcare workers and also contribute funds to support the campaign against the epidemic.

In attendance at the council meeting were the Zanzibar Health Minister Rashid Seif Suleiman and Burundi’s Minister for EAC Affairs, Ms Nzeyimana Leontine. Others were Rwanda’s Permanent Secretary in the Health Ministry, Dr Solange Hakiba and Uganda’s Minister for Health Elioda Tumwesigye.

Of the experts to be deployed to the ill-fated region, 41 will be medical doctors and 578 will be other healthcare workers. Kenya committed to contribute 15 medical doctors while Tanzania and Rwanda will send five and three respectively.

Burundi will provide further information on the ratio of its combined contribution of 250 healthcare workers and Uganda will send 30 other healthcare workers.

                            
The council also directed the EAC Secretariat to convene a regional meeting of experts within 10 days. The experts are expected to offer technical guidance on models to address the existing logistical, human resource and infrastructural challenges in  implementing the regional and national level epidemic preparedness and response actions. The council further directed the EAC Secretariat to facilitate harmonisation of the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Guidelines for screening passengers across the borders and international ports of entry in line with the 2005 International Health Regulations(IHR)--an international legal instrument that came into force on June 15, 2007.

The instrument binds 194 countries to prevent, protect against, control and provide a public health response to the spread of diseases to avoid interference with international traffic and trade.

The IHR require states to strengthen core surveillance and response capacities at primary, intermediate, and national level; as well as at designated international ports, airports, and ground crossings.

They further introduce a series of health documents, including ship sanitation certificates and an international certificate of vaccination or prophylaxis for travellers.

The Citizen