The Rwandan government has firmly denied allegations that it withheld information about the arrival of the Marburg virus in the country, emphasizing that it disclosed details as soon as they were available. This clarification came from the Minister of Health, Dr. Sabin Nsanzimana, during a virtual press briefing held on Thursday.
The initial cases in Rwanda were detected on September 27, 2024. On October 8, the Ministry of Health reported that there have been 13 fatalities and 14 recoveries among the 58 total confirmed cases.
Dr. Nsanzimana highlighted Rwanda’s extensive vaccination efforts aimed at containing the outbreak. “So far, we have vaccinated over 200 individuals, and vaccination continues as we speak. Our first shipment contained 700 doses, which are primarily being used for healthcare facilities treating patients and those who had contact with the infected,” he said. He added that Rwanda expects to receive additional vaccine doses in the near future.
Despite the presence of the virus, the Minister noted that ongoing activities, such as conferences, have not been disrupted. “There are several events taking place, and just yesterday, I attended the Biashara Africa conference alongside the Director General of the Africa CDC. We have implemented measures to monitor those who have been infected and are currently under treatment in two hospitals. There is no justification at this point to halt travel or suspend events,” he explained.
Addressing claims that Rwanda had delayed the announcement of the outbreak, Dr. Nsanzimana refuted these allegations. He stated, “The suggestion that we withheld information is false. Tests were conducted on September 26, results were confirmed that night, and we made the information public on September 27. Everything was done within 24 hours, adhering to International Health Regulations. That is the truth.”
Dr. Nsanzimana also noted that efforts to trace the source of the virus in Rwanda are ongoing, with results expected in the coming days. “We are continuing our investigation, and soon we will complete this process. We will share details about the origin of the outbreak once the analysis is finalized,” he added.
Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of the Africa Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), who also participated in the briefing, commended Rwanda’s handling of the outbreak.
BY TUYISHIME Eric