South Africa is prepared to deal with any cases of the Ebola virus should they be detected within its borders.
Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi made the assertion during a media briefing in Pretoria, where he said the government is particularly concerned about the current Bundibugyo strain identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for which there is currently no approved vaccine.
“Yes, we are worried, very worried about Ebola, especially the Bundibugyo strain, because it doesn’t have any vaccine whatsoever, whereas the other strains do have a vaccine, and that’s what is worrying us. Theoretically, yes, it can go to any country. So, for that reason, we have to stay ready, and we are doing so. At the moment, we’ve got three committees that we’ve established,” said the minister.
He said the Department of Health has established committees specifically to prepare for a potential Ebola outbreak, despite no infections having been recorded in South Africa.
“This is the committee that will take decisions. Once there’s an Ebola outbreak, they will meet every day, perhaps even every hour,” he said of one of the committees.
Motsoaledi said hospitals in both the public and private sectors have been identified and prepared to treat Ebola patients, including the establishment of isolation wards.
“We’ve selected 24 hospitals in the public sector and 12 in the private sector where any South Africans who contract Ebola will be treated. We won’t allow patients into just any hospital because there will be risks. These hospitals are preparing isolation wards so that, once you are diagnosed, and remember, the only institution that can diagnose Ebola is the NICD, the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, you will then be referred to one of these 24 public hospitals or 12 private hospitals,” he said.
The Health Minister also called for strict border management, warning that the uncontrolled movement of people could contribute to the spread of the virus. He said particular concern surrounds travellers using diplomatic passports, who are often able to pass through ports of entry without undergoing routine health screening.
Ebola virus disease is a rare but severe and often fatal viral haemorrhagic fever caused by orthoebolaviruses. It attacks the immune system, damages organs and blood vessels, and has an average fatality rate of about 50 per cent. The virus originates in wild animals and has, over the years, been detected in West and Central Africa. In some affected regions, poverty forces many communities to rely on hunting wild animals for food, increasing the risk of transmission from animals to humans.