Kigali, 11 June 2019: A confirmed case of Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) was confirmed in Kasese, Uganda. This follows an ongoing 10 months similar Ebola Virus Disease outbreak in North Kivu and Ituri Provinces in DRC.

Despite the fact that we are surrounded by this public health threat, no Ebola case has been reported in Rwanda. 

In order to protect yourself and prevent the spread of Ebola, it is important to ensure the followings: 

-    Proper body hygiene by washing hands frequently;
-    Avoid travels to an area affected by an Ebola outbreak;
-    Avoid contact with blood and body fluids, items that may have come in contact with an infected person’s blood or body fluids, body of someone who died from Ebola disease and/or meat from an unknown source;
-    Report via Toll-Free line 114 national wide alert system, to Community Health Workers, nearby health facility and/or police station any suspected case with Ebola like symptoms.   

 The Ministry of Health is taking the Ebola outbreak in both neighboring countries seriously and is intensifying the surveillance at ports of entry, at health facilities and in the community levels.  
    
The Ministry of Health in coordination with the Rwanda Biomedical Center, WHO and other partners continue the work to strengthen the national capacity for early detection and containment of the outbreak in case of spread into Rwanda. 

This include the robust community awareness and mobilization, logistics, Ebola Treatment Center, establishment of an EVD related workforce, development and capacity building of the workforce in case management, infection prevention and control, development and capacity building of contact tracing teams, burial teams, psycho-social teams, etc and also enhancement of the surveillance with national capacity to detect and test any suspected case identified in the country.

The Ministry of Health calls upon any Rwandan and visitor to Rwanda who develops symptoms of Ebola which include sudden fever, severe weakness, diarrhea and/or vomiting, skin rash, red eyes, and abnormal bleeding or has been in contact with a patient with such symptoms or has participated in a burial ceremony of a known case or suspected case, to seek medical attention immediately at the nearest health facility.

For more information, please contact the Health Communication Center at 114