Kenya must maintain high vigilance and continue strengthening disease surveillance and control measures, as the country reaches a critical phase in its response to the current Ebola outbreak, a World Health Organization (WHO) official said on Friday.
Neema Rusibamayila Kimambo, acting WHO representative to Kenya, commended on the Kenyan government's prompt response following the detection of the first imported case, which involved rapid contact tracing and isolation.
According to Kenya's Ministry of Health, the country has reported nine confirmed cases of the Bundibugyo ebolavirus strain, including two deaths. All subsequent confirmed cases were identified while under isolation and are currently receiving treatment, with no evidence of community transmission.
Just before the first batch of close contacts completed their 21-day medical observation without symptoms and began leaving quarantine starting Sunday, Kimambo noted that releasing contacts from observation does not signal the end of the outbreak.
"So for WHO criteria, we look at those 21 days. But we still have people who are sick, right? So until you come to the last patient being treated and is now Ebola-free, then we count up to 42 days to officially say this is over. So we still have a while to go for that," she said.
The official also highlighted the broader regional concern, particularly in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), where new cases continue to rise rapidly and cross-border human mobility increases the difficulty of epidemic control.
"They're currently now getting around an average of 70 something new cases every day. You can imagine if the case in Kenya, just one case, we had over 100 contacts. So imagine 70 new cases every day. How many contacts?" she said.
To address these challenges, the WHO is assisting relevant countries in sharing information and coordinating responses through national contact mechanisms and country offices, Kimambo added.
Kenya to remain vigilant in Ebola response: WHO official
More than 150 foreign diplomats in China on Monday visited a special exhibition commemorating the 90th anniversary of the victory of the Long March.
The exhibition is being staged at the Military Museum of the Chinese People's Revolution in Beijing.
The diplomats in attendance expressed deep admiration for the resilience and determination demonstrated during the historic journey.
"To be honest, it's a very inspiring place to be that despite all the difficulty, despite all the challenges, how they came up against all odds, it only shows that what all human beings can do," said Syed Ali Asad Gillani, Pakistani Ambassador to China.
"The Long March is still one of the greatest, I think,in the history of the red army for the CPC and Chinese people in the modern time, in the modern history. It's still alive today in terms of spirit, in terms of sacrifice, in terms of unity, in terms of solidarity, of the Chinese people," said Somphone Sichaleune, Lao Ambassador to China.
The exhibition also serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made for the Chinese revolution.
"This exhibition is a great inspiration. There is a great commitment of keeping in mind the history of the Chinese revolution," said Alberto Blanco Silva, Cuban Ambassador to China.
"It shows a real essence of courage, determination, perseverance during this period. This is reflected through China's commitment to see through its development path," said Luamanuvae Albert Mariner, Samoan Ambassador to China.
The Long March (1934-1936) was a military maneuver by the Chinese Workers' and Peasants' Red Army that later became a defining episode in modern Chinese history, symbolizing endurance and perseverance as the poorly armed soldiers crossed some of the country's harshest terrain, enduring hunger, thirst and cold, to establish a new revolutionary base. The official record of the Long March made by the First Front Army of the Red Army was 12,500 km, which took it one year from 1934-1935. Two other front armies of the Red Army, the second and the fourth, started the journey later, took different routes, and completed the march in 1936.
Diplomats see spirit of Long March in China's commitment to its development path
