19th July, 2019
Botswana’s health ministry on Friday said the country was on high alert for the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).
The development comes after the declaration of the Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in the country as a ‘Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC)’ by the World Health Organisation (WHO) earlier this week.
“The risk of Ebola spread in the DRC and the regional levels remain very high, but still low at global level,” said Morrison Sinvula, Permanent Secretary in the ministry of health.
Sinvula said the country has intensified its public health emergency preparedness, adding that Ebola is a highly contagious viral disease that currently has no proven treatment.
“The Ministry will continue to monitor the situation in the DRC and the region in close consultation with the WHO Country office and will keep the public updated periodically,” said Sinvula.
According to the WHO, simple treatment interventions at the early stage can significantly improve chances of survival.
Meanwhile, an experimental Ebola vaccine known as rVSV-ZEBOV has also proved highly protective against the deadly virus. The vaccine is also now being used in response to the current outbreak in DRC.