Morobo Border County Assessed for Emergency Ebola Readiness

(MOROBO COUNTY) – An emergency health team has arrived in Morobo County to carry out a rapid assessment aimed at strengthening the area’s preparedness for a possible Ebola outbreak.

The team from MEDAIR, led by Edwin Emmanuel, visited the county leadership on Sunday to seek clearance for the assessment.

The work is meant to add to the efforts of organisations already operating in the area since Ebola cases were confirmed in the Democratic Republic of Congo and suspected cases reported in Uganda.

Previous response work has been handled by the World Health Organisation, the International Organisation for Migration, and SPEDP. Despite these efforts, several areas in Morobo County remain uncovered because the county has many unmonitored crossing routes connecting it to both the DRC and Uganda.

MEDAIR said its main areas of focus include building the capacity of health workers, setting up holding and isolation facilities, arranging referral systems for any suspected cases and establishing screening points.

With nearly four open routes still not covered, County Commissioner Hon. Joseph Mawa welcomed the MEDAIR intervention and promised full support.

He thanked the team for carrying out the assessment, noting that Morobo County faces a high risk of an outbreak because of its location next to DR Congo and Uganda, where Ebola cases have been recorded.