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Health experts to sensitize communities on Ebola

DARIUS MUKIZA
Daily News; Thursday,January 08, 2009 @21:15

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The Ministry of Health and Social Welfare yesterday sent a team of experts in five regions that border the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to sensitize Tanzanians over the outbreak of ebola fever that erupted in Congo December last year.

The Principal Communication Officer with the ministry Mr Nsachris Mwamwaja told the 'Daily News' that the experts were sent to Kigoma, Rukwa, Mbeya, Kagera and Mwanza regions which were at great risk of contracting Ebola. “The main task of these experts will be to educate people over the disease on what it is, its causes, symptoms and preventive measures.

The experts will also be studying the trend of disease at the borders,” he said. Mr Mwamwaja said that the Ministry had also instructed regional and district medical officers in the five regions to work closely with the experts for sustainability of the exercise. The ministry has published different brochures that will be used as supportive measures to the campaign.

He said, presently, there was no any case of the disease reported in the country. The Ebola disease that hit Kyenjojo, Kabarore, Bundibugyo, Kakonge and Kambarage districts in Congo December last year has so far killed more than 35 people in that country.

Shortly, after the eruption of the fever the Kabarole District health officer Dr Jao Okech Ojony asked people to desist from greeting each other by shaking hands to avoid contracting Ebola which is transmitted through physical interaction.

Twenty two people have so far died of the fever in Uganda and Minister of State for Primary Health-care Dr Emmanuel Otaala told journalists that 11 health workers had fallen sick.
Rwanda was screening people at its borders with DRC as well as Kenya as the process of ensuring that the fever was in control.

The four known subtypes or species of Ebola viruses are Zaire, Sudan, Reston, and Cote d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), named for the geographic locations where these viruses were first determined to cause outbreaks of disease. Ebola haemorrhagic fever is caused by viral infection.

Although the origin (natural host) of this virus is still unknown, humans are thought to have been infected first by monkeys in Africa, where the virus spread from person to person. Symptoms appear 2 - 21 days after the initial infection followed by the rapid development of fever, headaches, muscle pain and throat pain together with vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.

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