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WHO Reminder to strengthen measures to prevent the spread of Ebola Virus to Rwanda

The Ebola Virus Disease was confirmed on July 14, 2019 in Goma, North Kivu Province in the Democratic Republic of Congo by its Ministry of Health.

The Ministry requests the population to remain calm as no single Ebola case has been registered in Rwanda to date. The Country is taking the outbreak in the neighbouring countries seriously and continues to intensify the surveillance at all ports of entry as well at the community level.
However, the Ministry strongly reminds everyone to seriously consider the following preventive measures:

• avoid unnecessary travels to areas affected by an Ebola outbreak;
• immediately report to the nearest screening station if you are coming from an Ebola affected area;
• report any suspected case of Ebola via the Ministry toll free number 114, Police on 112, Community Health Workers or to any nearest health facility;
• in case you know someone who is from an Ebola-affected area, immediately report to the Police on 112, to the Ministry of Health on 114, to the nearest local authorities or Community Health Workers;      
• avoid contact with blood and body fluids, items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids;
• avoid contact with body of an Ebola victim and/or meat from an unknown source;
• advise every person who has been in contact with a patient with Ebola symptoms or who attended a burial ceremony of a known case of Ebola to immediately report to the nearest health facility for urgent medical attention;
• always wash hands with soap and clean water.

Ebola is transmitted through an infected person’s body fluids like blood, vomit, sweat, tears, saliva, urine, excrement, sperm, breast milk, vaginal fluids etc.
Ebola symptoms include fever, joint pain, headache, sore throat, fatigue, diarrhoea, vomiting, skin rash, red eyes, stomach ache and bleeding through different body parts. Ebola is not airborne.
 
All concerned stakeholders including the general public, local authorities, media houses, civil society, private sector such as local and regional transport companies and hotels to combine efforts to ensure that the disease does not spread to Rwanda.

To read more visit the WHO Africa page here

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