Mogadishu (AX) — Somalia has activated a national Ebola preparedness plan after Kenya reported an imported case of Bundibugyo Ebola virus disease, prompting the government to tighten screening and coordinate prevention measures.
The Somali Council of Ministers approved the plan on Thursday and assigned oversight to a committee drawn from six ministries. Deputy Prime Minister Jibril Haji Abdi will chair the committee, which includes the ministries responsible for health, security, foreign affairs, transport, information and livestock.
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The Ministry of Health and Social Care briefed the Council of Ministers on the Ebola situation and outlined measures to limit the risk of transmission should the disease reach Somalia.
Authorities began screening travelers arriving from African countries on Thursday, following Kenya’s confirmation of the imported case.
Health Minister Dr. Ali Haji Adan said medical teams had been sent to airports to monitor passengers arriving from across the continent, with particular attention to flights from neighboring Kenya.
“We have deployed a medical team to the airport to monitor flights arriving from African countries. We are now intensifying our preparedness after Ebola reached Kenya,” the minister said.
Somalia’s Ministry of Health called on the public to wash their hands regularly and avoid contact with the blood or bodily fluids of people who are sick.
The government said the measures form part of a wider effort to improve Somalia’s ability to respond to infectious diseases by coordinating agencies responsible for healthcare, security, transportation and public awareness.
