By Agar Mayor Gai-Makoon

On 30^th January, the Ministry of Health in Uganda confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease. This poses a huge threat on the lives of Ugandans and their neighbors. Uganda has the busiest entry point to South Sudan. Every day, a thousand score of all East African nationalities come to South Sudan through Uganda. We have a huge South Sudanese population as well, in camps and big cities across the Ugandan territory. It is therefore right to assert that whatever happens in Uganda has all possible means to reach and affect South Sudan.

Perhaps, the Ebola outbreak is no exception. The virus outbreak can spillover South Sudan any time, any day. Our health system is already overwhelmed and weakened by many factors, including the recent cholera outbreak, and lack of adequate health financing by the government. But we cannot fold our hands and do nothing. Death comes after losing the fight—not after refusing to fight.

The Ebola virus, though more stubborn than the vibrio cholerae, because it is a tiny molecule that has the ability to produce a handful of proteins in no time. South Sudan has the time and resources to prepare against it. We need a healthcare system that is always ready to protect the lives of citizens against public health emergencies. And just single step can take us there. For instance, the way that the outbreak of cholera has been recently handled cannot be the same with handling of another outbreak in future. Obviously, it would be simple because better approaches would have been developed to handle the outbreak efficiently and effectively. And basically, this is how systems get modified and strengthened overtime.

Ebola virus disease is a fatal disease and very hard to control when it is already established in an area. It is this very reason that South Sudan must start fighting it even if we know that there is no case or contact currently in our country. The following preparatory and protective measures must be undertaken by the Ministry of Health urgently

• Establish a reference public health laboratory at the border

I have stressed many times the importance of having many public laboratories across the country. And this comes a time when it is most important to have a reference laboratory at Uganda-South Sudan border for health surveillance and screening all people that cross to South Sudan of the Ebola virus. This has to be done urgently. It is not difficult to establish a reference laboratory. We just need to make it a priority.

• Install isolation health facilities at the border

The Ebola virus can spread to as many people as possible from a single carrier. This is because Ebola virus disease carrier can display symptoms within 21 days. And in this period, the carrier can spread the disease to very many contacts. So, it is very important to have a strong health surveillance system and contact tracing. And above all, isolation centers for cases and contacts must be available and adequate enough. We should have them now at the border, not after the disease reaches South Sudan, which for that matter should not.

• Form an Ebola virus disease task force

The most important approach to public health emergencies is to form a team that composes all medical specialists, members from critical institutions of government and representatives from the health-based humanitarian agencies. The team is to be tasked with developing an Ebola viral disease prevention and control protocol. Most people including the health personnel, do not know how to protect themselves against the Ebola viral disease, but producing guidelines about protection against and controlling the disease will immensely help the population. The ministry of health and the donor agencies should push for formation of this team that will produce the protection and control guidelines of the Ebola viral disease.

• Community awareness through radios, social media and street posters

South Sudan has to be very alert and all the people must get rightful ways about contacting the disease so that they are able to protect themselves. Avoiding bodily fluids like blood, urine, saliva, milk to mention a few is vital. Also, seek urgent medical attention when early or late symptoms as fever, joint and muscle pain, sore throat and vomiting, diarrhea, unexplained bruising, weight loss develop. The disease has until date, no definite cure but the most important thing is that we have the capacity to prevent it. It is just a matter of awakening and activating this capacity. Let’s do it.

The writer has a background in socio-political philosophy. He currently studies medicine at Ain Shams university, Egypt. He can be reached on +201129107334, or thieng.thiengwada@gmail,com.