Speaking during a virtual meeting attended by the Rwandan Health Minister and journalists on Thursday, October 10, 2024, Dr. Kaseya lauded the measures put in place by the government, stating that there is nearly zero risk of Rwanda spreading the disease to another country.
"It's almost zero risk. I say 'almost' because we cannot say 100% for sure, but I can say that there is a 95% certainty that there is zero risk for Rwanda spreading the disease out of Rwanda. The mechanisms they have put in place to monitor contacts mean no contact can fly out of Rwanda. This is amazing because they are monitoring these contacts on a daily basis,' the Africa CDC boss stated.
Dr. Kaseya said recent reports showing zero new cases and fatalities were encouraging, even as the fatality rate remains low at 22% compared to previous outbreaks in other countries.
'I have to say that the outbreak in Rwanda is controlled. Yesterday, I was amazed to receive a report indicating that there were zero new cases and zero deaths. It means we are expecting to see Rwanda out of this outbreak very soon,' Dr. Kaseya noted.
'The case fatality rate is 22%. Let me remind you that in 2023, during the outbreaks we experienced, the case fatality rate was more than 65%. If we go back to 2022, the case fatality rate was more than 80%,' the Africa CDC boss explained.
'You can compare that and confidently state that Rwanda is putting in place all necessary mechanisms.'
At the same time, Dr. Kaseya condemned a recent travel advisory issued by the United States, insisting that any decisions taken must be guided by scientific facts to avoid spreading panic.
'The decision taken by the US government was not fair, and we believe this is not the treatment that Rwanda and Africa deserve,' he stated, adding that Rwanda had implemented satisfactory measures to contain the spread of the disease.
'Today, by issuing a Level 3 advisory, we are creating a panic modeâ€"an unnecessary panic modeâ€"in Rwanda, in other regions, in other countries in the region, and also in the world,' he protested.
He noted that the US authorities had committed to consulting the Africa CDC before taking such steps in the future.
'We think this is so disrespectful for us. I conveyed this clear message to the US senior officials. But more importantly, we agreed on a way to move forward. I believe I received their clear commitment that in the future they will not make such decisions again without consulting us,' he added.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had Monday, October 8, issued a level 3 travel notice for the country and said next week it would begin screening travellers who have recently been in Rwanda.
In the briefing, Minister Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana stated that Rwanda is making significant progress in vaccination efforts and monitoring to prevent the further spread of the outbreak.
"So far, we've already vaccinated more than 200 people. There are others being vaccinated. We initially received 700 doses for the most at-risk groups. We expect this to protect those in treatment centres, as well as in the departments of these hospitals that have been most affected for healthcare workers, and the contacts of confirmed positive cases, which is known as ring vaccination,' the minister stated.
As of Thursday, October 10, 2024, Rwanda has confirmed 58 cases, 13 deaths, and 12 recoveries.
Initial symptoms of Marburg virus disease include high fever, severe headache, muscle and joint pain, and fatigue, followed by gastrointestinal symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. As the disease progresses, it can lead to severe haemorrhaging, organ failure, and shock.
To prevent infection, health experts recommend strict hygiene practices, such as frequent handwashing and avoiding contact with personal items or bodily fluids of individuals showing symptoms of Marburg virus disease.
Wycliffe Nyamasege
