Dr Tegnen Woldermariam, the WHO Uganda representative says that donors including individual countries and United Nations agencies made contributions to various initiatives including surveillance, contact tracing and treatment.
This move that comes at a time when Uganda has no active case of Ebola admitted in any treatment facility across the country. Else Attafuah, the UNDP Uganda Representative says this is meant to keep the country on guard with messages of prevention until authorities start the countdown towards declaring Uganda Ebola free.
The global health body, says that they reached this decision after conducting a risk assessment study where they found a lot of cross-border movement into Uganda, which has so far registered confirmed 141 cases with fifty-five deaths resulting from the viral hemorrhagic fever.
Felix Ezangu, the border Internal Security Officer says that although there is a water storage facility at the customs post, it has never been connected to a reliable water source.
Dr. Henry Mwebesa, the Director General of Health Services at the Ministry of Health said in an interview on Thursday that while they have received complaints about fears of infection, they are not considering withdrawing or transferring anybody from the hospital.
In a survey by URN at some of the major hospitals, there were gaps in enforcing Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures. They are no facilities for handwashing at entrances while some are experiencing stockouts of key protective gear for health workers like gloves and facemasks.
Now, even as cases are on an increase, the organization says health workers don’t have a lot of options but resign to supportive treatment to manage symptoms, offering psychosocial support and engaging in aggressive risk communication such that patients are referred quickly for isolation.
Uganda has recorded 11 deaths and 11 confirmed cases of Ebola from communities in Mubende district over the last week. But as the Ministry of Health embarks on contact tracing in the areas of Mubende, Kyegegwa, Kassanda and Mityana, the Police Force is also seeking to decongest its cells to control the spread of the virus.
The Health State Minister in Charge of General Duties Anifa Kawooya gave the assurance on Tuesday regarding the outbreak that was confirmed on Monday. Prior to Kawooya’s statement, the Ministry issued information indicating that the 24- year- old man who succumbed to Ebola at Mubende Regional Referral Hospital on Monday tested positive for the Sudan variant.
The Health Ministry Permanent Secretary, Dr. Diana Atwine told journalists at a press conference at the ministry Tuesday morning, that they have dispatched a rapid response team to Madudu and Kiruma villages in Mubende to do a verbal post-mortem on the six reported victims who died between September 11th and 15th, 2022.
The Kasese deputy resident district Commissioner- RDC in charge of Bukhonzo county, Lt. Maate Magwara says they have increased security surveillance to close out all porous border points and ensure that all persons crossing into Uganda use the designated routes and are screened as required.
According to WHO, a 46-year-old woman died on 15 August 2022 in Beni, a town located in North Kivu. She received care at the Beni Referral Hospital, initially for other ailments, but subsequently exhibited symptoms consistent with Ebola virus disease.