Colombia,-preparing-to-evade-and-face-Ebola
- Using 25 operating procedures, the Ministry of Health develops an intersector strategy in order to prepare the country to deal with the disease.
Bogotá, DC, October 29, 2014. The Ministry of Health and Social Protection presents the country with the preparedness and response plan for the eventual introduction of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), organized under three processes, which in turn include 25 operating procedures (OPs) and involve at least 43 public and private entities responsible for applying and/or running them.
“The country, despite remaining at low risk according to the World Health Organization categorization, will remain on alert until the epidemic shows a downward trend in Liberia, Guinea Conakry and Sierra Leone, that is, that new cases stop occurring for 42 days,” said Deputy Minister of Health and Service, Fernando Ruiz.
The first process is the reduction of the likelihood of entry of the disease, which covers the POs to identify and/or screen people entering the country as follows: Colombian travelers returning to the country, travelers of 92 nationalities not requiring visas, foreigners who do require visas and illegal migrants.
This phase involves, among others, the immigration authorities, the military and police forces, which interact with the National Unit of Risk and Disaster Management, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and the National Institute of Health.
The second process is the identification and response to a case. This occurs in the entry points, in the Institutions Providing Health Services (IPS) and the community.
Finally, the third process is the tracing of contacts and containment of the spread. This includes transportation, transit points of the identified infected people, their families and direct contacts, transfer of care vehicles, caregivers and undertakers.
Deputy Minister Ruiz insisted in the summons to conduct intersector work, which not only depends on the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and other sector authorities, but other national and regional agencies, both public and private, with the aim to act coordinately and aptly to successfully prevent and handle Ebola in the country.