Botswana has plans to prevent Ebola importation - MoH
Lerato Maleke | Tuesday December 16, 2014 19:48
Madigele said this includes a national multi-sectoral Ebola virus public health emergency preparedness.
He said response committee meetings were ongoing to monitor the epidemic, thereby providing oversight guidance to technical working groups and that the last meeting was held on 22 October.
He further said the four technical working groups continue to meet fortnightly, while the last three weeks were focused on training.
He also said the national and district rapid response teams were put in place and continue to monitor the situation.
The minister also said supervision and support are ongoing to support, monitor and advise on Ebola preparedness, adding that the districts visited during the last support visit included Francistown, North East, Chobe, Ngami, Palapye, Charleshill, South East and Kgatleng, which were implementing the recommendations made.
Madigele also revealed that environmental health officers from all the districts were trained on Ebola, specifically on human remains management, from 11-12 November 2014.
He said newspaper adverts and radio jingles with Ebola messages are currently running on commercial radio stations and that materials has been distributed across districts.
Reprints have been ordered and are to be delivered soon.
He further said on 5 and 6 November, doctors, infection control nurse, laboratory, health education and environmental health were trained in Gaborone, Kweneng East, Good Hope, Kgalagadi South, Kgalagadi North, Ghanzi, Mabutsane, Jwaneng, Kanye, Moshupa, Selibe-Phikwe and Ngami.
A total of 32 social workers/counselors from all the health districts, Botswana Unified Revenue Service and the Botswana Defence Force were trained from the 11-12 November.
The minister said they will develop a database of all counselors in their respective districts and be in a position to offer psychological first aid in all the districts should the need arise.
He said further training of staff at BDF, Gaborone Private and Bokamoso Hospitals took place from 18-19 November.
Madigele added that road shows would commence on the 17 January, 2015 at selected sites. He also noted that Mr and Miss Ministry of Health are carrying out awareness creation activities in all tertiary institutions.
Traditional health practitioners were also trained on Ebola from 18-20 November for the northern part of the country. In Gaborone they were trained from November 25-27 for the south district.
Pastoral sector (ministers’ fraternal, evangelical fellowship of Botswana, Botswana Council of Churches) briefings were conducted on November 24 in Gaborone. The minister said that this was meant to lobby the religious sector for support particularly in social mobilisation and provision of counseling.
“Stock levels of pharmaceutical and medical supplies for case management continue to be monitored and case management training was included in the past Ebola workshop from 7-8 October,” he said.
He added that laboratory services had been arranged with the National South African Infectious Disease Laboratory for testing of Ebola virus samples that have been sent to them.
Regarding surveillance, he said screening of arrivals from high-risk countries continues and that travelers to and from affected countries had reduced significantly from 183 in August to 16 in September 12 in October and four up to November.
“All the four reported for November were from Nigeria and three DRC. There are also non-contact infrared thermometers procured for temperature screening of suspected cases and the ministry is still awaiting the delivery of an additional 2000 contactless thermometers,” he stated.
He added that his ministry was in the process of procuring additional air and water tight overall heavy duty personal protective equipment and that 10 000 of these will cost P5 million.
“Training is ongoing for frontline workers including health care workers, BDF, Botswana Police and Immigration. Districts have well-established core team versed on Ebola preparedness and response,” he said.
Madigele concluded that the MoH continued to monitor the situation at global and regional level, with a particular focus on the lessons learnt to strengthen its preparedness and response strategy.