Step up guard against deadly Ebola virus now

President Uhuru Kenyatta should take the lead in sensitising Kenyans on the need to up the nation’s guard against the deadly Ebola virus. This will trigger a successful sensitisation campaign in all entry points and health facilities to ensure the virus does not find its way into the country.

The World Health Organisation has warned that there could be nearly 10,000 new infections of the disease weekly. Ebola death toll has so far reached almost 4,500 in Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea. Despite several assurances from the Government and the Ministry of Health that necessary measures have been taken to avert an outbreak here, there are deeply worrying lapses and care-free attitude towards the disease.

Border points, including the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport, have not been properly manned to counter Ebola, compared to, say, Johannesburg and other airports within the region. All passengers entering Kenya through the JKIA and other border points must be screened properly.

According to a report carried elsewhere in this newspaper, medical staff have been calling for more protective gear and equipment to handle Ebola should a case be identified. For lack of preparedness and knowledge, health workers have been reported fleeing from patients showing suspected Ebola symptoms.

This state of affairs can only lead to panic among the public and create an avenue for the virus to enter the country. Similarly, we urge the Ministry of Health to initiate a vibrant public campaign to educate Kenyans on ways of keeping the virus at bay, without further delay.