Ebola risk exposure exit assessment

For any international travel out of DRC, before leaving the red zone staff will receive a specific medical debriefing with the staff health focal point to determine the level of risk of potential exposure. The measures that apply to the specific risk level will be explained and the location for the 21-day monitoring period confirmed.

For new incoming staff, the information will be shared during briefing, and the country of observation – generally the country of MSF contract – will be pre-agreed with TF21.

More information: After Ebola Mission

Staff cannot attend training during the 21-day observation period, for your own health and others'. This is to avoid groups/crowds where the risk of having contact with another illness that could cause a fever is higher. Having any illness during the 21-day observation period is a stressful process for you and for MSF that we wish to avoid. Also, if you do become unwell the number of contacts may be large depending on the training attendance.

Until further notice, staff in an MSF Ebola red zone in DRC cannot attend trainings. This is both a public health measure and an operational decision to prioritise our response capacity.

Even staff outside a red zone may not be able to attend due to national restrictions in the country of training. Please have your manager contact TF21 for an individual assessment. 

Staff in flying positions based in DRC will be prioritised for the Ebola response. If this is not an option, OCG will look for options for staff to be relocated to another country wherever this is feasible.

Flying staff will not undertake their usual regional travel to DRC for the time being. 

A case by case approach will be adopted.

In most cases, staff will be required to complete the 21-day observation period before beginning a new assignment. More information: After Ebola Mission

Due to the complexity of making arrangements for the 21-day monitoring period, IMS and staff on the mobility list who are in the red zones and wish to go on assignment outside the country are currently on standby for matching until the end of August.

For those living outside the red zone, matching may be possible, but it will depend on the regulations in the country of assignment, the urgency of the matching and the outcome of the risk assessment done by Staff Health (TF21).

We aim to start international matching again after August and will send updates through as soon as possible.

Until then, any staff in DRC who could assist with the response may be able to join the teams in DRC, and your participation in the efforts are likely to be welcomed. Your pool manager can assist with placements within DRC.

Unfortunately, it is not currently possible for staff members to take leave in DRC, as it is likely that a 21-day observation period will be enforced by the country of their assignment before returning and this will increase the time out of mission, creating avoidable gaps and increasing the pressure on teams to manage the 21-day monitoring period for these staff, on top of the high volume of staff already in DRC for the response to the epidemic.

We realise this is disappointing for staff currently on assignment, but it is not currently feasible to manage these requests. OCG will support staff to take holidays in another safe location and provide a lumpsum financial contribution for the inconvenience.

The possible locations and financial contribution are agreed at mission level. This contribution is designed to cover accommodation costs that staff would not have to cover had they been able to return home. Staff who choose to stay in MSF premises will not receive the financial contribution.

Please note that if staff wish to return home to DRC, this will be seen as an end of assignment, and they will be under the same conditions as other staff currently in DRC.

If you are assigned outside DRC, you planned to take your leave at home, and have already purchased your flight tickets in line with your mission's leave policy, you must adjust your plans due to the Ebola outbreak. In this situation, MSF will reimburse the costs you have already paid. You may reschedule your leave for a later time, and you must follow the DRC MS leave policy. MSF will contribute to the cost of your new flight ticket accordingly.

If already matched: we will reduce the amount of time between assignments as much as possible, by either extending the current assignment or arriving early to the new assignment, knowing that staff should usually have at least a two-week break between assignments. Should staff need to be accommodated in the interim period, the usual practice is to try to accommodate staff in the current assignment country for as long as possible, but this will depend on circumstances. We request all HOMs and Cells to work with HR teams to support our colleagues to find the best solution possible.

If no new assignment matching: we will prioritise matching to another assignment as soon as possible. If returning to DRC there is no guarantee that we will be able to secure a match (see guidance for staff currently in DRC). If no match is available, staff may have to return to their home countries. Given the high volume of needs we should be able to find another assignment for most people, but we can never guarantee this.