South Sudan will soon conduct a full-scale Ebola simulation exercise in the capital Juba as well as in the border towns of Nimule and Yei on August 16, according to the health ministry, reported Daily Monitor.
“The exercise will test and validate capabilities for early detection, rapid response, and effective coordination at national, state and community levels, in view of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC,” said Richard Lako Lino, incident manager at the Ministry of Health, in a statement released on Monday.
Lino assured that South Sudan is still safe from the Ebola virus. He urged the people of the country to not panic and support the simulation exercise as much as possible.
“The public should not panic if they see health workers in protective gear, ambulances or other Ebola-related activities as these are part of the simulation only,” Lino added.
He said the simulation is a practical test for health workers who have participated in capacity building and training activities. He added that the drills are in accordance with the international health regulations.
Lino stated that South Sudan’s Ministry of Health and United Nations were working together on prevention and preparedness efforts since the onset of the outbreak in the DRC and would continue to strengthen measures.
The health officials have warned in the past that entry of Ebola into the country could be imminent. South Sudan suffered Ebola outbreak back in 2004 after the World Health Organization (WHO) reported 20 cases, including five deaths, from the disease in the Western Equatoria town of Yambio.
Notably, the Ebola outbreak in the neighboring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which began in August last year, has already killed more than 1,000 people. It the world’s second-largest Ebola outbreak. The first Ebola outbreak erupted in 2013in West Africa and continued till 2016, killing over 11,000 people.
