Ebola Outbreak in Congo Kills 88 People, Indonesian Health Ministry Tightens Border Controls
The Ministry of Health (Kemenkes) has confirmed that there have been no reports of Ebola cases in Indonesia to date. However, the government has officially raised the alert level following the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), which has killed at least 88 people.
The Head of the Bureau of Communications and Public Information at Kemenkes, Aji Muhawarman, affirmed that anticipatory measures and strengthening of the national health system have been activated to protect Indonesia from potential imported cases.
“The government continues to monitor the development of Ebola cases globally and strengthens national preparedness to prevent the disease from entering Indonesia,” said Aji in an official statement on Sunday (17/5).
As a concrete step, Kemenkes is tightening surveillance at all points of entry, including airports and international seaports. Surveillance is carried out through:
In addition to border surveillance, Kemenkes has put 198 referral hospitals, which are part of the Emerging Infectious Disease (PIE) service network, on standby. Enhanced surveillance is also being conducted at 21 sentinel hospitals spread across 20 provinces.
The Ministry of Health is paying special attention to citizens who have recently returned from affected countries such as the DRC and Uganda. The public is asked to conduct self-monitoring for 21 days after their return.
“We urge people who have recently returned from infected countries to immediately seek medical attention if they experience symptoms of Ebola, such as fever or bleeding, up to 21 days after their return,” said Aji.
The public is also reminded to continue implementing basic health protocols, avoid contact with wild animals, and ensure that meat is cooked thoroughly to minimize the risk of zoonotic transmission. (Fik/I-1)
The GOVERNMENT has begun preparing anticipatory measures regarding the potential spread of the Ebola outbreak through international travel routes.
The Bundibugyo variant of the Ebola virus, for which there is no vaccine, has struck the DRC and killed 88 people. The WHO has declared a global health emergency.
The DEMOCRATIC Republic of Congo announced an outbreak of the Ebola virus disease; Kemenkes stated that there are no cases in Indonesia. However, monitoring at entry points remains in place.
Uganda began testing an experimental vaccine to combat the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus after a new outbreak caused one death and two infections.
The WHO stated that it is deploying a team to help Uganda fight the Ebola outbreak that has killed one health worker, a 32-year-old nurse.