President Salva Kiir Mayardit has established a national Ebola Preparedness Committee tasked with strengthening the country’s preparedness and preventive measures to ensure the Ebola virus does not enter South Sudan.
The committee brings together senior government officials, health authorities, security institutions, academia, religious leaders and civil society representatives to coordinate national efforts on surveillance, prevention, early detection and response to any potential Ebola threat.
The Minister of Health will serve as Chairperson, while the Executive Director of the National Public Health Institute (NPHI) will serve as Secretary.
Other members include the Undersecretary of the Ministry of Health, Undersecretary for Planning at the Ministry of Finance and Planning, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Wildlife Conservation and Tourism, Inspector General of Police, Chief of Defence Forces of the SSPDF and the Director General of the Internal Security Bureau of the National Security Service.
The committee also includes the Vice Chancellor of the University of Juba, two representatives of religious leaders and a representative of the Civil Society Alliance.
The committee is expected to strengthen coordination among key institutions, improve disease surveillance and early detection, and support preparedness measures aimed at preventing and containing any potential Ebola outbreak.
The move comes as South Sudan seeks to reinforce its public health preparedness and ensure relevant institutions are ready to respond swiftly to any emerging Ebola threat.
