Cape Verde Reinstates Airport Screening Amid Ebola Concerns
Cape Verde is stepping up its border defenses following the confirmation of an Ebola case in Nigeria. National Director of Health Ana Paula Santos announced on Wednesday that the archipelago will reactivate a specialized monitoring platform originally developed to combat the COVID-19 pandemic.
Enhanced Screening at National Airports
As part of the renewed safety measures, travelers entering the country will once again be required to complete health screening questionnaires at airports. While the World Health Organization (WHO) currently classifies Cape Verde as a “low risk” zone, health officials are taking no chances.
“There is a need to reinforce surveillance, equipment, and prepare risk communication,” Santos told Rádio de Cabo Verde (RCV). She noted that the government is also strengthening laboratory capacities, working closely with the Pasteur Institute in Dakar, Senegal.
Preparing the Frontline
The health directorate is launching specialized training across all health structures to ensure medical staff can identify symptoms early. These preventative measures come after Nigeria reported a diplomat arriving from Uganda tested positive for the virus in Abuja on Tuesday. Nigerian authorities have already identified 44 individuals who were in contact with the infected official.
A Growing Regional Threat
The situation in Nigeria marks the fourth African nation hit this year by the Bundibugyo strain of Ebola. The outbreak is currently centered in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where the virus has infected over 9,700 people and claimed at least 4,687 lives over the past five months.
The virus has also touched neighboring countries, including Uganda and Kenya. Jean Kaseya, head of the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), warned on Tuesday that the current spread represents “an extremely serious threat” and has called for immediate international mobilization to contain the hemorrhagic fever, which is known for its high fatality rate.
Image: Pexels – Greece-China News
