Uganda, DR Congo experts meet to assess progress in Ebola fight
Health experts from Uganda, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), World Health Organization (WHO) and African Union (AU) on Monday started a meeting to assess the progress on Ebola response.
The health ministers from Uganda, DRC, WHO country representatives and AU experts are converging in the eastern DRC town of Goma to assess the progress and recommendations made in previous cross-border meetings aimed to combat the deadly virus.
Uganda’s delegation is led by Ruth Aceng, the country’s health minister and Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam, WHO country representative.
“The meeting provides an opportunity to assess the progress on response and recommendation made in the previous cross-border meetings,” said Aceng in a statement issued here on Monday.
“We are looking forward to having a fruitful discussion to address this PHEIC (Public Health Emergency of International Concern,” said Woldemariam.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in July declared the Ebola virus disease, which has claimed over 2,000 lives in DRC, as a PHEIC.
In June, Uganda, DRC government officials and health experts met to share information on how to tackle and stop the spread of the deadly virus in the western border district of Kasese.
The African Union in July authorized the immediate deployment of an AU Mission Against Ebola in DRC.