Tanzania has stepped up efforts to improve its readiness for detecting and managing likely imported cases of Ebola. This comes after the World Health Organisation (WHO) last week declared the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) a “public health emergency of international concern.” 

The rare designation – Public Health Emergency of International Concern (PHEIC) – which is only used for the gravest epidemics was triggered by the threat of the virus spreading into neighbouring countries having already killed over 1600 people in DRC and three in Uganda since it broke out last August.

In response to the threat, Dar’s government has purchased nine walk-through thermal scanners that will be installed at three airports as well as other border posts, Director of Preventive Services at the Ministry of Health, Dr Leonard Subi, revealed. 

“On Thursday we installed two at the Julius Nyerere International Airport (JNIA) terminal three…we will soon do the same at the other airports,” Dr Subi said. As it stands, the government has acquired a total of 115 walk-through thermal scanners and hand-held scanners.

The screening process will be without the harassment of passengers, the health official assured while speaking to The Citizen, after a video conference with officials from the Health Ministry, World Health Organisation (WHO) and Tanzania Civil Aviation Authority (TCAA).

Moreover, Tanzania’s aviation industry has provided protective equipment for personnel, TCAA Economic Regulation Director Daniel Malanga said, adding that an emergency preparedness plan is also in place. 

Tanzania’s measures to prevent the further spread of the epidemic across the East African region is very crucial. This is because the country is one of those the WHO warned are at risk of imported Ebola cases due to close proximity to the outbreak’s epicentre – DRC. The countries include Rwanda, South Sudan, Burundi and Uganda (most at risk), while Central African Republic (CAR), Angola, Republic of Congo, Zambia and Tanzania are in a second tier.

In recommending a PHEIC, the WHO committee on the epidermic made specific recommendations related to the outbreak. These were echoed by WHO’s representative in Tanzania, Dr Grace Saguti, who called for the strengthening of Tanzania’s capacities to prevent, rapidly detect, investigate and respond to the Ebola virus.

According to her, the country needs to “ensure effective coordination, supervision, monitoring, and evaluation of the operational readiness and preparedness.” For this to work, she continued, national authorities should work with airlines and the transport and tourism industries to ensure that they do not exceed WHO’s advice on international traffic.