UPDF troops in Eastern DRC assured of safety against ebola

The deputy director Public Health and coordinator contingency plan against ebola in the UPDF, Lt Col Dr Francis Xavier Bakehena, has reassured troops operating in Eastern DRC that their health is guaranteed as far as ebola outbreak in DRC is concerned.

The assurance was made at the closing ceremony of UPDF Mountain Division Medical Personnel Rapid Response Team training on Ebola Case Management held at Kalya Courts in Fort Portal city.

"As UPDF Directorate of Public Health in conjunction with the ministry of Health and World Health Organisation we have put in place safeguard contingency measures against our soldiers operating in DRC contracting Ebola viral disease," Bakehena assured

He noted that although the target is about ebola control, other health hazards such as monkeypox, Marburg and other Hemorrhagic fevers that are prevalent in DRC are being catered.

The five-day training workshop of 32 UPDF Medical personnel from Mountain Division was aimed at creating a Rapid Response Team (RRT) in surveillance, Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and Case Management. It was intended to impart knowledge in detecting, identification alerts and early warning of ebola outbreak within and the surrounding communities where UPDF is operating in Eastern DRC.

"Currently there are reports of an Ebola outbreak in DRC 2000kms (Mbadaka Health risk zone) away from where our troops are operating. Although authorities in DRC have declared the country ebola free, we do not want to take chances. That is why we have put in place contingent measures/ stop gaps such as surveillance systems, medical personnel case management and rapid response teams training," Bakehena said.

Other measures to prevent the spread of ebola and other hemorrhagic diseases prevalent in environs of Congo include; roll out vaccination programmes to all the troops operating in DRC and those surrounding the international border and putting troops on alert.

"We intend to vaccinate all our troops operating in DRC and those at the borderline right from West Nile up to Kisoro. We have also put our soldiers on alert, especially medics to report anybody with signs of Ebola so that we immediately handle the case without reporting to civilian facilities," stated Bakehena.

Dr Daniel Okello, the Mountain Division medical officer explained the benefits acquired from the training.

They include improved skills on how to prepare, approach and respond to ebola viral outbreak.