President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged South Africans to exercise caution when travelling across the continent following the spread of the Ebola virus in several African countries.
His appeal comes after Nigeria became the fifth country to detect the virus, following a case involving a patient who had recently returned from Uganda and developed symptoms four days after arriving in Nigeria.
Other countries reported to have confirmed cases include Kenya, Uganda and France, while the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has been identified as the epicentre.
Health authorities have recorded 9,552 confirmed cases and 4,602 related deaths.
“As South Africans, we need to be concerned, particularly as we also travel around the continent, that in the end it does not come here. And of course, South Africa has been very supportive of the efforts that are being made in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
“We have donated serious money to deal with this outbreak,” said Ramaphosa.
South Africa has pledged approximately R220 million towards efforts to combat Ebola, reaffirming the country’s commitment to supporting African nations affected by the outbreak.
Ramaphosa highlighted that South Africa remains the African Union’s champion for pandemic preparedness.
“We are well connected with what is happening through the AU Centre for Disease Control.
“So, we are assisting, we are giving some ideas and leadership, and we are really concerned about the spread of Ebola from the DRC to Uganda, to Kenya now, and to Nigeria.
“That for us is a calamity,” Ramaphosa explained.
The President called for greater cooperation and support to strengthen the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and help curb the spread of Ebola.
