DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 23– The East African Community (EAC) is stepping up regional preparedness for Ebola and other high-consequence infectious diseases by strengthening the capacity of frontline health workers to detect, contain and manage outbreaks, the regional bloc said in a statement on Wednesday.
The statement said 120 doctors, nurses and other health professionals from all eight EAC member states are undergoing specialized training this week in Nairobi, Kenya, under the Training in the East African Community for High-Consequence Infectious Diseases program.
The program combines practical training and simulations on disease identification, isolation, infection prevention, personal protective equipment, sample collection, patient management and emergency response, the statement said.
EAC Acting Director of Social Sectors Dorcas Omukhulu said a regional approach was essential to enabling member states to respond collectively to public health emergencies.
EAC has established a mobile laboratory network of 10 laboratories across seven member states to provide rapid diagnostic services, with plans to expand the network to 34 laboratories by the end of 2027.
According to the statement, about 45 million U.S. dollars are needed to effectively respond to Ebola and other viral hemorrhagic fever outbreaks in the region. (Namibia Daily News / Xinhua)
