The Walvis Bay Corridor Group (WBCG), acting chief executive officer, Edward Shivute this week said transport and trade activities along the corridors continues to operate normally, despite a reported outbreak of the Ebola disease in parts of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), a Namibian executive confirmed Thursday.
Shivute, in a cautionary statement, said that supply chains remain uninterrupted at this stage, but warned cross-border transport operators, logistics personnel, and border agencies to remain highly alert and strictly implement health protocols to protect regional trade routes.
“We also urge all stakeholders to encourage their drivers to visit the WBCG roadside wellness clinics that are located along the transport corridors,” he said.
Shivute said the WBCG remains committed to supporting safe and efficient corridor operations while working closely with government institutions, development partners, regional partners, port authorities, and corridor stakeholders to promote preparedness and coordinated response measures.
Further, he encouraged stakeholders to follow updates from the WHO and the Ministries of Health in Namibia, Zambia, the DRC, Botswana, South Africa, Malawi, Angola, and Zimbabwe, or any other SADC countries linked to Walvis Bay.
According to the World Health Organization, the Ebola disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus in the DRC and Uganda constitutes a public health emergency of international concern, but does not meet the criteria of pandemic emergency, as defined in the International Health Regulations.
On May 20, the WHO reported a total of 53 (51 in DRC and 2 in Uganda) laboratory-confirmed cases, approximately 600 suspected cases (awaiting laboratory validation), and 139 suspected deaths linked to the outbreak.
