Cameroonians urged to uphold Ebola prevention

Health experts from the Ministry of Public Health have teamed up with the World Health Organization, Cameroon in urging the population to remain very vigilant and to uphold preventive methods as cases of Ebola Virus escalate in neighbouring countries.

The call was made last October 3 in Yaoundé during a one day workshop organized for media professionals by the Ministry of Public Health in collaboration with W.H.O Cameroon and the Ministry of Communication.

Speaking during the occasion, one of the workshop facilitators, the Sub Director for Prevention and Community Action in the Department for the Promotion of Health in the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Elise Virginie Owono Longang advised journalists that apart from their key role to inform the population to remain alert, they need to avoid causing any panic in their reports.

“Ebola Virus disease is very contagious and kills rapidly.” She underlined. She further explained that “the symptoms that can appear between 2 to 21 days on an infected person or dead game are; high fever, nausea, headache, fatigue, vomiting, diarrhoea, cough, haemorrhage/bleeding, dead.”

Cross section of journalists during the workshop on Ebola Virus On her part, Barbara Etoa HIP of W.H.O Cameroon speaking in her posture of a journalist, she told participants that they need to disseminate information of reassurance that though there is not yet Ebola Virus in Cameroon, the population ought to remain very vigilant, observe basic hygienic conditions such as washing hands with soap, avoid manipulating corpses, avoid any contact with dead Games and infected persons but to rather report any suspected case to their nearest health unit.

She revealed that as of October 1 this year, W.H.O reports place the dead toll of Ebola Virus on 3330 people.

In his exposé on communication strategic plan for the prevention and response to eventual Ebola Virus in Cameroon, Mr Ndzomo Efouba Athanas of the Ministry of Communication, underlined that knowing the key role communication plays in handling crisis, the ministry has elaborated a plan that reaches out to all walks of life.

The communication officer of the Ministry of Public Health, Mamoun advised media professionals that it is of no use wasting our pens and microphones spreading rumours that bitter kola can cure Ebola rather than asking them to be alert in order to face this common threat to mankind.