— Govt calls for stringent measures against Ebola outbreak

Govt calls for stringent measures against Ebola outbreak

Kitwe , August 26^th, 2014, ZANIS —-  Government has called for stringent measures in efforts to curb the spreading of the Ebola virus in Zambia following the disease outbreak in the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Kitwe District Commissioner Elias Kamanga says stringent measures need to be put in place for the country to be on very high alert against the deadly disease.

Mr. Kamanga said this was because of the threat of the disease outbreak in his city mainly due to high trade activities between the DR Congo.

He said the district needs to prepare adequately and be in a position to handle the viral disease in an event that a case is recorded.

ZANIS reports that the D.C said this  in Kitwe today during a stakeholders meeting on Ebola virus preparedness.

He revealed that at least 10 people have so far died of Ebola virus in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the past two weeks.

And the District Commissioner appealed on the officers in the ministry of health and the Immigration Department to step up the screening process of people entering the country at the border points in Kasumbalesa and Mukambo in Mufulira so that the spread of the disease from the DRC is prevented.

He also urged the private sector stakeholders and the media to partner with government in sensitizing people on the deadly Ebola virus.

However, Mr Kamanga assured the Kitwe residents that government through the ministry of Health is doing everything possible to screen each and every person that comes in the country from all border points.

Ebola, a viral disease characterized with high fever and bleeding has broken out in West Africa and has so far killed over two thousand people in Nigeria, Guinea and Ivory Coast.

The Disease has since broken out in the Democratic Republic of Congo killing at least two people.