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Health Reporter
The African Union Executive Council has endorsed Sadc’s response to Ebola, but expressed reservations on travel bans for truck drivers coming from affected countries saying this has a potential of fuelling stigma against the affected countries and victims. Health and Child Care Minister Dr David Parirenyatwa said in an interview yesterday that the AU executive urged African countries to be vigilant against the virus. The AU call was made at an AU member States emergency meeting on Ebola attended by Dr Parirenyatwa in Ethiopia early this week.
The meeting was addressed by AU Commission chairperson Dr Nkosazana Dhlamini-Zuma who called for support and solidarity from fellow African countries and the international community with states affected by Ebola.
“The AU has endorsed our position as Sadc on our response to Ebola,” said Dr Parirenyatwa. “But their main concern was that of restrictions on truck drivers, saying it could end up stigmatising countries affected by the virus.”
Dr Parirenyatwa is the chairperson of Sadc Health Ministers Forum.
Last week, ministers of health from the Sadc region met in Victoria Falls where they agreed to impose travel restrictions on truck drivers who travel to Ebola-affected countries to avoid the spread of the disease to unaffected countries.
The AU Executive Council has agreed to screen people from affected countries.
So far, Ebola has killed over 2 200 people in Liberia, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Senegal and Guinea, while a different strain of the disease has been reported in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
Sadc member states resolved that people who have a history of coming into close contact with infected people and infected dead bodies should be isolated for a period of 21 days while they are being monitored.
They also agreed that people coming from Ebola-affected countries should be subjected to screening following recommendations by the World Health Organisation.
The Ebola virus was first identified in Guinea on March 13 this year before it spread to Liberia, Sierra Leone, Guinea Conakry and of late a different strain of the disease has been identified in DRC.
Ebola is highly infections and is transmitted through bodily fluids and initial symptoms of infection include fever, colds, weakness, culminating in bleeding from all possible openings.
Online Reporter