The International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies has approved more than 150 thousand US dollars for South Sudan’s preparedness against Ebola virus.
The money will be used to strengthen preventative measures at the borders with Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo
Denmark, Swedish, and Netherlands Red Cross also contributed nearly 150 thousand for similar responses.
This came after the Ebola outbreak declared in Mubende district of Uganda last month.
The Secretary-General of South Sudan Red Cross, John Lobowa, says more than 240 trained volunteers have been deployed in the border’s areas of Nimule border point, KajoKeji, Kaya, Morobo, Yei, Maridi, Yambio and Juba for air travellers
He says the move is to prevent Ebola from spreading into the country.
Lobowa, says at least twenty-eight volunteers and two community members have been trained in each location.
“Our focus is on community awareness. We are using the available resources like our volunteers to engage with the communities and raise awareness within the population,” said John Lobor.
The Red cross Secretary says their volunteers will engage directly with communities through house-to-house mass awareness sessions in schools, churches, mosques, streets, markets, and radio talk shows.
John Lobor says this will help to make the public aware of Ebola symptoms and how to prevent the disease.
The SSRC is a member of the National Technical Committee for Ebola response chaired by the Ministry of Health.
South Sudan implemented Ebola virus disease preparedness interventions aiming at preventing and rapidly containing any importation of the virus from the Democratic Republic of Congo starting from August 2018.