Zambia: Govt urged to safeguard citizens from Ebola threat

Zambia: Govt urged to ward off Ebola virus outbreak

Lusaka, Zambia (PANA) – Worried by the local inability to deal with global health threats such as the Ebola disease virus, a Zambian opposition leader Tuesday urged government of the southern Africa country to invoke and implement international health regulations set by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

United Party for National Development (UPND) vice president Canisius Banda said here that all points of entry need to be manned by suitable public health officers at all times.

"The right number of people need to be trained in outbreaks' communication, containment facilities need to be built at points of entry into the country, and adequate staff need to be ready to handle such an outbreak,” he said.

“On each of these requirements," Banda added, "Zambia is not ready, and with the fiscal crisis that we are currently facing, let us pray that this Ebola outbreak just does not reach us. Because if it did, all hell would break loose, bedlam would come to Zambia.”
-0- PANA MM/AR 5Aug2014