Tanzania trains border communities on Ebola prevention
Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu trains motorcyclists in Kagera on preventive measures against Ebola
What you need to know:
- The country has been on high alert since the Ugandan outbreak was confirmed.
Kagera. Tanzania has begun training border communities on preventive measures as well as screening passengers following the Ebola outbreak in neighbouring Uganda.
The trainings for local communities in eight district councils in Kagera region, northern Tanzania, are being carried out by health services officers.
The country has been on high alert since Uganda confirmed an outbreak on its soil.
Early this week, Health Minister Ummy Mwalimu and medical experts visited the region and ordered local officials to deny entry into the hinterlands to anyone infected with or suspected to have Ebola—the patients will, instead, be taken to designate camps for quarantine.
Ministry reports show that about 6,000 people have been screened at the border, among them 500 truck drivers.
Tanzania has not recorded any cases of Ebola, said Beatrice Mutayoba, the Director of Disease Control from the Ministry. However, the country is taking precautionary measures to prevent and, if need be, combat the Ebola Virus Disease.
So far, Uganda has so far recorded 44 cases of Ebola infections and 10 deaths, among them health workers.
