July 14th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A joint delegation from South Sudan government, United Nations implementing partners, ambassadors from donor countries and members of international NGOs will visit the country’s Yei to inspect ongoing preparation for response to a possible Ebola pandemic.
In a statement issued this weekend and seen by the Nyamilepedia, the delegation that will be led by the undersecretary in the health ministry will travel to Yei on Monday and is expected to meet the state governor along his cabinet as well as a local Ebola virus taskforce stationed there.
The purpose of the visit, the ministry said in the statement, is to reaffirm the commitment of development partners, while the United Nations will be able to streamline the process of developing preventive measures in the context of preparedness activities in the area.
The health ministry further appealed to the general public in the statement to remain calm and rest assured that there is no need for concerns due to the fact that the country remains an Ebola-free zone, and no cases of the Ebola virus reported since the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its surveillance program for South Sudan.
“Despite the risk, it is important to note that there is no Ebola virus in South Sudan so there is no need for people to panic. Ebola is a serious disease, but it can be prevented through proper hygiene practices such as frequent hand washing with soap and clean water and avoiding touching people with Ebola symptoms,” the WHO said.
The WHO further urged members of the public to call toll-free number 6666 if they suspected a possible Ebola case in the area.
“People should continue to be vigilant about their health and immediately seek medical help or call the Ebola hotline on 6666 if they experience symptoms such as fever, diarrhoea, headaches, vomiting, aching muscles and joints, fatigue and bleeding from the body,” it added.
Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) is one of the most fatal and highly infectious diseases known to the world. The on-going outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) is the second largest outbreak reported globally.
