East African Community Headquarters, Arusha, Tanzania, 4th October, 2024: The East African Community (EAC) Secretariat has called for a swift and coordinated regional response to contain the ongoing Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak declared in Rwanda. The outbreak poses a serious threat to regional health security and requires urgent action from all EAC Partner States to prevent its spread across borders.
On the 27th September 2024 Rwanda’s Ministry of Health declared the Marburg Virus Disease (MVD) outbreak and as of 30th September, 2024 there were 29 confirmed cases and 10 deaths with more than 297 contacts under close monitoring and healthcare workers have been disproportionately affected. The World Health Organization (WHO) has raised concerns about the potential regional spread of the disease due to confirmed cases in districts near the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Uganda, and Tanzania.
“There is an urgent need for a coordinated regional response to contain the spread of this highly infectious virus through swift identification, isolation, and treatment of cases and enhanced screening at borders and health facilities,” said Hon. Andrea Aguer Ariik Malueth, EAC Deputy Secretary General, in charge of Infrastructure, Productive, Social & Political sectors
He called for Partner States to strengthen their public awareness and infection control protocols including handwashing, avoiding physical contact with symptomatic individuals and surveillance at borders and health facilities. Read more on this link