By Talkafrica Correspondent
Busia County, Kenya: Health experts in Busia County are worried about porous border routes in Busia County that may bring in Ebola infections.
It is estimated that more than 64 porous routes along the border that is being used by the citizens of these countries to cross both countries illegally could be a source of the Ebola outbreak in the Country.
With the Ebola case having been reported in Jinja, Uganda few kilometers from Busia, medics in Busia County are putting measures in place to address the situation in case it is reported in Busia.
The team brought together different stakeholders including local administration, religious leaders, and nongovernmental organizations including Red Cross, and save the child to sensitize them and the level of preparedness for the Ebola virus.
According to Dr. Nelson Andanje health officer in Busia County, the purpose of bringing together the stakeholders is to put measures in place on how to address the disease in case it breaks.
“We have met as different stakeholders in Busia including medical officers, religious leaders, administration and nongovernmental organizations such as red cross and save the child to find a way of how we can all address Ebola in case it is reported in the county,” he said.
Additionally that there is less communication from their counterparts in Uganda in relation to the Ebola virus and its impact and due to the nature of the porous border points they can’t stay and hope all is well.
“The disease has been reported in Eastern Uganda at a place called Jinja, just a few kilometers from here, and with limited communication from our counterparts in Uganda in relation to the virus, we can’t sit and hope all is well. Hundreds of people are crossing daily in and out of Uganda to Busia to trade and our brothers from Uganda come here to seek medication and if we don’t stay alert this virus will get us off guard,” he noted
Dr Andaje noted that they have burned bodies from Uganda to Kenyan mortuaries in Busia as one of the measures to prevent the virus from crossing over, adding that so far there is no Ebola reported case in Busia and Kenya in general.
“We are yet to report an Ebola case in Busia. All the three suspected cases we have had before turned out negative but we should not let our guns down. Meanwhile, we are not allowing bodies from Uganda into Kenyan mortuaries,” he said
According to Dr. Andaje, there is a need for the members of the public to be sensitized enough on how to deal with the virus including knowing the signs and symptoms, and how the virus is transmitted cautioning Kenyans from crossing to Uganda if it is not necessary.
“I just want to inform our people let us be careful. If you don’t have a reason to go to Uganda don’t go but if it is a must, take the necessary precautions needed to prevent the disease from crossing to Kenya. Contact tracing is the main challenge as we speak so it is better we do what we can to remain vigilance,” he said
Andanje confirmed that 59 Ebola-related deaths have been reported in Uganda with 9 of them being health workers since the first outbreak was reported in Mubende in Western Uganda in September this year.
The medics fear that there are possibilities that there are many cases that have not been reported in Uganda and there is a need to remain vigilant. He noted that they will embark on public sensitization over Ebola disease to prevent it from coming to Kenya’s Alupe Sub-County hospital. The hospital has been identified as an isolation center in case an Ebola-suspected case will be reported.
According to the acting Chief Officer of the department of health in Busia county Dr. Melisa Lutomia through the disease surveillance team that was created during covid-19 pandemic they are on high alert to handle any suspected cases that may be reported.
She noted that the County Government has trained some health workers to equip them with knowledge on how to address the problem.
“As a county, we have measures in place to handle Ebola cases in an event that it is reported in Busia. Our surveillance team is on standby to handle it. We have also trained health workers and trainers of trainers on Ebola viral disease,” noted.
She noted that the screening process at the main two entrances in Busia and Malaba is still going on, however, the challenge they are facing is how to screen those using porous routes to Kenya from Uganda and vice versa.
“The screening process is still on at our main borders entrance. The challenge we are facing as a county is how to screen those using other routes. But we have started sensitizing the community living around those routes to help us identify the victims by calling our emergency operation center on a toll-free number 0800721009,” she said.
Besides the Alupe isolation center, Dr. Lutomia noted that they have a holding room in every health facility in the county to hold any suspected cases reported before they are relocated to the Alupe isolation center.
Save the children an international organization will be facilitating the training of more than 200 individuals in Busia including health workers, CHWs, immigration, and security officers on how to deal with the Ebola virus.
Ebola screening is going on at designated border posts in Busia and Malaba, however other porous routes including different beaches along lake Victoria in Funyula and Budalangi sub counties expose the county to the Ebola outbreak.
