UN and partners strengthen Ebola preparedness in South Sudan border town

Humanitarian organisations working in South Sudan have warned of a credible and growing threat that Ebola could spread across the border from the Democratic Republic of Congo.

They say that as the outbreak in the eastern Congo reaches over 5,500 confirmed cases, it has moved geographically closer to the common frontier.

For many residents of Ezo in Western Equatoria State, crossing the border is part of everyday life and an essential source of income.

Now teams from the World Health Organisation, supported by the UN Mission in South Sudan, are helping to educate locals about the deadly outbreak, and conduct screening for the virus.

At the main crossing point, health workers are already screening travellers for signs of illness.

“We are visiting to ensure that whoever is crossing from DRC is screened and whoever is leaving is also screened,” said Brian Assimwe, a WHO epidemiologist.

Heath agencies say the frontier is a high-risk area due to extensive cross border movement, weak surveillance systems, and limited public health capacity.

UN agencies and partners have been providing medical supplies and raising national awareness through radio and social media.

Health workers are also being trained to identify suspected cases, protect themselves, and to isolate patients.

"It is we who are going to educate this community and the community will have a full information on how they can prevent themselves from this dangerous disease," says health worker, Cosmas Bonifes.

The challenge is protecting people from the deadly haemorrhagic virus, while allowing them to continue essential cross-border trade.

For UNMISS, security is an important part of enabling the health response.

Peacekeepers and military observers assessed screening centres and surrounding areas to identify security concerns and support the safe movement of health teams.

“We are assisting our humanitarian partners in conducting the assessment of the screening centres for Ebola”, says UNMISS Military Observer Vanshay Kapur.

“This is important we understood what the present situation is in terms of the security of this place,” he says.

An Ebola outbreak in South Sudan would have significant consequences as it sits at the centre of multiple regional migration and trade corridors.