Africa Youth Games: Botswana on high Ebola alert
Gothataone Moeng | Tuesday April 15, 2014 13:41
Health Minister, Dr John Seakgosing told MPs that the National Preparedness and Response Team has been working with the Greater Gaborone District Health Management Team (DHMT) to come up with measures to prevent the importation of the Ebola virus into the country during the games. He was responding to a question without notice from Dr Habaudi Hobona of the Botswana Congress Party (BCP).
Currently, countries such as Mali, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea are fighting to contain an Ebola outbreak that has reportedly killed 90 people so far.
Botswana is scheduled to stage the Second Africa Youth Games next month with 2,500 athletes expected from across Africa. Seakgosing said that during the games, participants and people from areas where Ebola has been reported will be given special attention to ensure that there is no transmission of the virus. “A rapid response team has been assembled and is ready for deployment as and when necessary,” he stated.
He said staff at the Sir Seretse Khama International Airport (SSKIA) have been briefed on the epidemic and planned emergency responses. Princess Marina Hospital and the Block 8 Clinic have been designated as ‘isolation facilities’ should the need arise, the minister said.
“An isolation facility at SSKIA has also been identified and will be appropriately equipped to serve as a holding facility for arriving suspected cases,” he said.
When questioned by Lentsweletau-Mmopane MP Moeng Pheto, whether Marina is appropriate as an isolation facility considering its congestion, Seakgosing’s reply was that they had to find a place to deal with the problem. “We have to find a place. There is no place that we can say is not isolated. We had to find one of our existing facilities,” he said.
The World Health Organisation (WHO) says Ebola outbreaks have a case fatality rate of up to 90 percent. Ebola is transmitted to humans through close contact with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected animals. It subsequently spreads through human-to-human transmission, with infection resulting from direct contact (through broken skin or mucous membranes) with the blood, secretions, organs or other bodily fluids of infected people.