As deadly Ebola virus spreads across East Africa, ministers of Health from across the bloc are set to meet today and tomorrow to streamline response plan against the disease.

In a statement released on Sunday by the East African Community (EAC) on Sunday, the top level meeting is set to focus on strategies to contain the viral disease, which has no known vaccine or specific treatment.

The latest outbreak of the rare Bundibugyo strain of the Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has caused over 1,000 suspected cases and at least 246 deaths.

Other than the epicenter in the DRC, neigbouring Uganda has reported one death and nine cases of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola.

According to the EAC Secretary General Stephen Mbundi, East Africa is firming up preparedness through coordinated surveillance, laboratory tests, prevention of new cases and risk communication.

Africa CDC

"We are working closely with member states, Africa CDC and the WHO to prevent cross-border transmission and protect public health," Mbundi noted.

Other key interventions deployed include the use of mobile laboratories at strategic border crossing points, the activating a pool of over 180 rapid response experts, and the deployment of specialized training for health workers, Mbudi added.

Additionally, the bloc said it is actively supplying personal protective gear while also embarking on plans for a regional framework to fast-track approval of Ebola vaccines and diagnostics, the secretary general said.

The bloc urged member states to enhance surveillance, public awareness and emergency preparedness measures.

On Sunday, the head of the World Health Organization Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said five patients have recovered from a rare type of Ebola virus during his visit to Sunday to Bunia in eastern Congo, a city at the heart of the latest outbreak. 

“Four people will be discharged today and there was one that was discharged the day before yesterday,” said Dr. Ghebreyesus when he witnessed the opening of a new Ebola treatment center in Bunia Ituri province.

“Of course, we’re still working on vaccines and treatments but that doesn’t mean that people cannot recover from Ebola,” he added.

On Friday last week, the WHO announced that one patient had recovered from the Bundibugyo virus, which has no approved treatment or vaccine. This was the first case in history of recovery of a confirmed Bundibugyo patient.

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