Officials urge calm as Barbados reinforces Ebola monitoring, travel screening systems

The Ministry of Health has reassured Barbadians that the risk of Ebola reaching the island remains low, while stressing that health authorities already have systems in place to respond to any suspected cases coming into the island.

The statement comes against the backdrop of rising public concern following the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaration of the Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo and Uganda as a Public Health Emergency of International Concern.

Speaking at a post-Cabinet press briefing at Illaro Court on Thursday, Minister of Health and Wellness Senator Lisa Cummins and Chief Medical Officer Dr Kenneth George said the Government has been actively engaging international partners, including the WHO and Ebola specialists, to strengthen Barbados’ preparedness and response framework.

Minister Cummins pointed to recent high-level engagements with global health authorities, including discussions at the World Health Assembly.

“Before we left Geneva last week…We took the time to speak with the Director General of the WHO and they are managing globally what has been happening in the Democratic Republic of Congo and in Uganda and in any other country where contact tracing is taking place.”

Dr George maintained that while vigilance remains essential, the current risk to Barbados is low.

“I was told by the WHO experts that the likelihood of Ebola reaching the shores of Barbados is more likely to come out of Europe because that is the destination where they will get here, so we need to be very careful.”

He outlined how Ebola is transmitted and reinforced the importance of basic hygiene practices in preventing spread.

“Ebola is spread through interaction, human-to-human interaction with bodily fluids, urine, diarrheal fluids, mucus, etc.  And you have to be in close contact with that individual.”

Dr George said routine hygiene remains one of the strongest protections for the public.

“And that is one of the major takeaways that we continue to encourage Barbadians to do the good things that we were taught during COVID and the good things we were taught while doing food preparations, wash your hands, etc.”

He also stressed that Ebola is not transmitted before symptoms appear.

“This is not one of those diseases wherein you transmit while you’re asymptomatic. The first symptom is fever, usually followed by malaise and tiredness, diarrhea, vomiting, and sometimes some hemorrhagic symptoms.”

Dr George outlined the quarantine protocols and border surveillance measures now in place.

“The quarantine period is 21 days. Quarantine should only be used for persons who have traversed the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, or South Sudan.”

He added that strengthened border systems are already operational.

“We have instituted many measures at the airport so that all airport staff have been briefed. The public health nurses take information on any suspected patient with respect to where they traverse.”

Minister Cummins also urged the public to avoid stigma and discrimination, stressing that only a small number of countries are currently affected.

“Africa is a huge place and I don’t want us to be stereotypical of the entire continent. There are three countries as it stands now, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Uganda, and South Sudan that are being watched in particular. They are in East Africa, hundreds of thousands of miles away from West Africa, South Africa, and even the Central African countries.”

She stressed the importance of perspective when considering scale and geography.

“It is important for us to bear in mind that we’re not talking about 166 square miles like in Barbados and that Africa is not a single place and so it’s important that we’re not necessarily assume that everyone that comes out of Africa is coming from one of the three countries of 52 that is having the outbreak of Ebola and I think that’s important for us to bear in mind.”

“We’re in a scenario where we don’t want people to become anxious about anyone they hear or see with an accent that they think could be coming from a jurisdiction, because that’s also not who we are.”

Dr George noted that Barbados is supported by continuous regional travel intelligence systems “which gives us the ability to understand how passengers move in the region”. 

Senator Cummins said these systems operate within established international health frameworks that guide passenger screening and risk assessment.

“That information now comes into each country. For the purpose of screening passengers before they arrive.”

“So when Dr George tells you, if your passenger has traveled to specific countries that we consider under the International Health Regulations, tier 4 countries, which are high-risk countries, Dr George will know and Dr George will treat to it with the requirements of the protocols for the International Health Regulations.”

Dr George confirmed that a public hotline will be activated to support public enquiries.

“We are going to brief the hotline because we know that Barbadians may have questions, and the hotline will be enabled to make and give some guidance from [Friday].”

(LG)