Security and Health officials in Arua have intensified surveillance and security patrols along the border with DR Congo as Ar’u and Ariwara towns in DRC record positive Ebola cases. Ar’u town lies about 15 kilometers west of Vurra, while Ariwara town is situated less than 20 kilometers west of the Odramacaku border in Arua City, where most of its people travel for business to Arua City.
According to Betty Otekat, the Resident City Commissioner of Arua, given the proximity of Arua City to DRC and the increasing number of illegal entries per day from Congo to Arua, there is a high risk of Ebola importation into West Nile.
Otekat said the current Ebola status has prompted them to intensify surveillance and patrols, as well as tracing Congolese who have illegally entered and booked into hotels in Arua for possible deportation. The status report from the regional Ebola taskforce meeting held in Arua on Sunday indicates that Ar’u has four Ebola cases, while Ariwara town has five cases.
The cases across the border with Uganda pose a high risk to the West Nile districts, especially Arua.
Arua City has two suspected cases of Ebola under isolation, while ten others have been discharged. In the streets of Arua City, many people continue to interact and transact business normally, with few public places having SOPs in place.
Geoffrey Adiga, the City Surveillance Focal Person of Arua City, revealed that most of the Congolese nationals have resorted to sneaking into Arua with the hope of receiving treatment for Ebola in case they test positive.
Colonel Loti Eyoti, the Security Advisor to Arua City Ebola Task Force, noted that in the event security beef-up is underway, especially on the side of the police, some measures should be put in place to screen people who roam the streets of the City.
Arnold Arinaitwe, the DPC Ayivu Division in Arua City, which shares over 30 kilometers of border stretch with DR Congo, said all efforts have been put to reinforce security along the border, but cited logistical challenges for effective surveillance and patrol of the border.
Despite the official closure of the border and border markets with DR Congo, reports indicate that dozens of Congolese continue to enter Arua through the numerous porous border points for business and other reasons, increasing the risk of importing the disease into Arua and West Nile-URN. Give us feedback on this story through our email: kamwokyatimes@gmail.com
