Havana, October 31 (RHC) -– The Havana-based Pedro Kouri Tropical Medicine Institute will be the venue to the first International Course for the prevention and fighting against Ebola in the Americas, Cuban Deputy Health Minister Marcia Cobas announced.

The initiative came out of an expert meeting for Ebola prevention held in Havana on Wednesday and Thursday with the participation of over 270 specialists and directives form 34 countries, including 168 Cubans.

The meeting wound up after issuing a series of proposals such as the keeping epidemiological surveillance on persons coming from areas where the Ebola virus can be transmitted and have been at risk; gathering complete information on passenger transport means, crews and travelers arriving to our countries; exchanging experiences among different countries on learned lessons about Ebola and define the ways to send samples to laboratories of international reference.

The experts also agreed on the need to standardize criteria on the use of personal protection equipment and make them available at preferential prices; to foster communication with vulnerable population through different media services, among other proposals.