Stronger Africa borders urged in wake of Ebola outbreak

By Mustapha K. Darboe

BANJUL, Gambia (AA) - African governments should beef up border surveillance following the recent Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo, the head of a regional health agency urged Monday.

The Ebola outbreak is a “wake-up call on all member countries to always remain alert and prepared,” Stanley Okolo, the head of the West African Health Organization (WAHO), told Anadolu Agency.

WAHO is the regional agency tasked with safeguarding the health of the people within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) region.

“Though the Democratic Republic of Congo is not in West Africa, you’ll agree with me that we should all be concerned,” Okolo added.

With a population of 350 million people, ministers of the regional 16-country bloc are currently in Banjul, Gambia’s capital, to discuss health challenges facing the region.

Okolo said WAHO is helping some of the countries monitor travelers at “borders who are coming in from the DRC”.

Janko Jimbara, the deputy permanent secretary at Gambia’s Health Ministry, also told Anadolu Agency that the small country has resumed its border surveillance mechanism in wake of the Ebola outbreak.

The regional meeting ends on Friday.