Dr Mujajati:The Cost Of Prevention Is Nothing Compared To The Cost Of Treating Ebola,West Africa Is not too far

The Zambia Medical Association (ZMA) has appealed to Government and neighbouring countries to institute surveillance measures at ports of entry to prevent the spread of Ebola.  Ebola virus disease (EVD) or Ebola hemorrhagic fever (EHF) is the human disease caused by the Ebola virus. Symptoms typically start two days to three weeks after contracting the virus, with a fever, sore throat, muscle pains, and headaches. ZMA president Aaron Mujajati said it is better to be over-prepared than under prepared when faced with a threat that has no tangible solutions if it occurs. Dr Mujajati said in statement issued in Lusaka on Monday that Ebola is not curable and only a handful of countries can claim to be adequately equipped to treat the disease once it breaks out but that measures can be taken to prevent the spread of the disease. “Ebola has been ravaging West Africa for some weeks now and several people have died including health workers. Our thoughts and prayers are with the families that have lost loved ones. We stand with our colleagues that have continued to risk their lives in service to mankind,” Dr Mujajati said. He said the world cannot shy away from the possibility of the disease spreading to other parts of Africa and the world at large. Dr Mujajati said the cost of prevention is nothing compared to the cost of treating Ebola. “West Africa is not too far to console this concern,” Dr Mujajati said. He said this is a matter that requires stakeholders to combine and to find the best way to address this issue without causing unnecessary disquiet. “With the high mobility of this modern world it is only prudent that as a nation we start to prepare ourselves,” he said. Dr Mujajati commended the department of immigration for the splendid job they are doing. He, however, expressed concern about media reports attributed to prison authorities suggesting that prisons house a huge number of prohibited immigrants. “We wonder if any of them were screened for communicable diseases such as the ones that continue to ravage the continent. How many of them are from West Africa? Have all of them been screened? We need to exhibit the same level of medical care for citizens behind bars as we do those outside,” he said. Dr Mujajati said if screening was not done, immigration authorities should at the very least expedite deportation procedures or collaborate with ministries in charge of health to immediately start screening the prohibited immigrants. “One can only imagine the magnitude of the loss of human life if anyone of these diseases were to break out in confinement,” Dr Mujajati said. He said others might argue that West Africa is too far for the country to worry but they should not forget that cases of Ebola were reported in parts of the Democratic Republic of Congo not so long ago. Dr Mujajati said the country cannot afford to take chances when it has been faced with a real health threat that can wipe out the population.