On October 9, Rwanda registered zero death of Marburg Virus as country continues to take precautions in the fight against the pandemic.
So far, the pandemic has claimed life of 13 patients, but another 12 people have recovered. All these numbers are against 58 overall confirmed cases.
Rwanda assured the general public, including visitors, that their health and safety is guaranteed. Currently, a three-day continental event, the Biashara Afrika (Trade Africa) African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) forum.
The Director-General of Africa Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), Dr Jean Kaseya told the gathering, that Rwanda is doing an incredible job.
He said: ” what I have seen in Rwanda, since I landed, even before I landed, I am just impressed. There is nothing more that could be done, that Rwanda is not doing.”
“Rwanda is making us proud, as Africans. I am proud, as Direct-General of Africa CDC, to say that Rwanda, is a school for all of us, on the way to manage this kind of outbreak.”
And he had a broader point, a challenge for the AfCFTA: “but let me also say, we are tired. Tired that every time there is an outbreak, we are in panic mode, because we need to start to beg the world for vaccines, drugs, diagnostics. It was the case for Mpox, it was the case bofore for Covid, and it’s still the case for Marburg.”
“Let us take a strong decision today, under the leadership of President Kagame, who is also our champion for domestic financing…I also wanted to meet President Ruto, who is the champion for local manufacturing, to say, from today, we need to start manufacturing all our medical countermeasures in Africa.”
He further said that there was already a transfer of the prerequisite technology for the manufacture of vaccines for Mpox, and there is a similar transfer of technology, for Marburg in Rwanda, where the CDC is working with the Rwanda authorities. By the end of the month, he said, he will be back in the country to see progress.
