By: Yusuf M Hasan
HARGEISA (Somalilandsun) – The government of Somaliland intends to screen all visitors to the country especially those whose journey emanate or has traversed West Africa.
This was informed by the ministry of health Director of sanitation and public health Mr. Mohamed Farah Qoti who said that the screening is geared towards ensuring persons infected with the Ebola virus do not enter the country.
“We have requested the Immigration department to fully cooperate with health officials at all entry points namely within Airports, Borders and seaports” revealed Qoti
According to the ministry of health the screening is only pertinent to those who have been recently in some West African countries like Liberia, Serra Leone and Guinea where the spread of the deadliest to date Ebola has so far claimed 600 lives of the reported infected figure of 1,093.
Should you be afraid of the Ebola threat? The World Health Organization and the US Centers for Disease Control have both said the risk that Ebola will spread beyond West Africa is extremely low. “The virus is difficult to transmit,” Gregory Härtl, a WHO spokesperson, told Vox. “Yes, there was this case of a person with Ebola going to Nigeria on a plane, but in all of history, only one or two people with Ebola got on planes.
Stressing on the severity of the virus which has no cure and whose remedy is only quarantining the infected Mr. Qoti who revealed that the government of Somaliland does not have the necessary tools to counter infection said, “Among those reported dead of infection in West Africa including some medical staff gallantly deceased in the course of duties.
Somaliland is not alone in establishing parameters to deter prevalence of the Ebola Virus as other nations have undertaken similar or other related measures.
