Ebola preparedness response for Nimule Region in South Sudan An outbreak of Ebola Viral disease (EVD) was confirmed in the North Kivu province in the Democratic Republic of DR Congo on the 1st of August 2018. This had by the 17th of August resulted in 91 confirmed cases with 50 deaths. The outbreak is still ongoing and hence WHO has declared the outbreak to be a category 3 emergency with a case fatality rate (CFR) of about 80%. The risk of spread of the outbreak is high among the neighboring countries including that bordering DR Congo including those categorized as category one including South Sudan, Uganda, Burundi and Rwanda. It is required therefore that all the high-risk countries prepare a response and readiness plan to ensure that there is capacity to tackle any identified cases.
South Sudan is categorized by WHO as one of the high-risk countries due to its proximity to the outbreak epicenter in DR Congo and with a previous outbreak in 2004 affecting Yambio. The main transport routes to the Country (South Sudan) from the DR Congo and Uganda have been identified as possible transmission routes for the outbreak. This includes the main border point including Nimule which is the main border crossing point into South Sudan. Hence, the ministry of health and other health partners are required to work on the readiness plan for the country with specific focus on the border areas with DR Congo and Uganda. Cordaid is the lead partner for lot 1 under Health Pool Fund (HPF) which now includes the Magwi region which is a border with Uganda and has the main border point from East Africa (Nimule) and hence the organization is taking the role of coordination and ensuring readiness for intervention in case of an outbreak in corporation with the local authorities, ARC and the other implementing partner in the region. 
The South Sudan ministry of Health with support from WHO, UNICEF, IOM and other UN agencies, bilateral and donor partners and NGOs are working to strengthen EVD preparedness. As part of this process, National and State Task Forces and technical working groups (TWGs) are established. Cordaid is part of these structures and is lead partner in the border area of Nimule which is a major entry point for people and goods. There are frontline staff who work in the area and currently, there is one planned Isolation unit at Nimule hospital and two border screening (PoE) points are active.
In this proposal, Cordaid will focus on activities under two strategic intervention areas (pillars) namely 1) Case management, infectious prevention and control and 2) surveillances and laboratory capacity. 
Activities will be implemented in coordination with other partners including ARC (the lead in the screening at the border points), Samaritan’s Purse (SP), the State and County health departments, Solidarity and WHO and UNICEF who will provide technical support in both intervention areas. WHO, SP and SMOH will provide support in training of healthcare workers in case management, IPC and surveillance. SMOH and MOH will provide weekly updates, liaise with WFP/UNHAS to transport laboratory specimens for testing at the national public health laboratories (PHL). IOM will support cross-border screening while WFP will construct the isolation unit at Nimule. 
Under this proposal, Cordaid will manage the Nimule isolation unit (IU) established by WFP, establish and manage ten temporary holding sites for suspected cases (including ensuring standard IPC and WaSH practices with support from Solidarity/UNICEF), train four healthcare workers to join and work with the RRTs to investigate and verify suspected EVD cases, In the event a case is confirmed, the isolation unit will continue to function as a center to manage the case until an Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) is established by another technical partner (MSF. Cordaid will establish surveillance, Cordaid will also liaise with the STF and the IFRC/SSRC in safe and dignified burial of a suspected case. The Ministry of Health will coordinate on access, safety and se