South Sudan steps up Ebola surveillance over outbreak in DR Congo

JUBA, Aug. 22 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan's Health Ministry said on Wednesday that it has stepped up Ebola surveillance following an outbreak of the deadly virus in its southern neighbor, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).

Health Minister Riek Gai Kok told reporters that the government has teamed up with partners to strengthen disease surveillance in key entry points and border areas shared with the DRC.

He said the government has formed a national response team composed of the World Health Organization (WHO) and other aid organizations to draft an emergency response plan to respond to any suspected case of Ebola in the war-torn East African nation.

Despite the ongoing insecurity that has engulfed South Sudan since 2013, Kok said the country is prepared to tackle any outbreak with the support of aid organizations.

Evans Liyosi, WHO representative in South Sudan, said South Sudan is close to DRC from where the latest transmission is occurring, therefore it is crucial to get prepared before disaster hits.

He said monetary support is needed to help the war-torn country improve its existing health infrastructure in order to strengthen its response health emergencies.

According to the WHO, Ebola virus disease (EVD) is a severe, often fatal illness for humans. The virus is transmitted to people from wild animals and spreads in the human population through human-to-human transmission.