According to the health ministry, the removal of the cases was a directive from President Yoweri Museveni. The WHO country representative says Uganda's move is okay as long as neighbouring countries are informed so that the discarded numbers can be added onto their country of origin
Government has revised the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country by removing the number of foreign truck drivers from its cases following a decision made by President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni
The total number of confirmed cases in the country has now been reduced to 145 cases after the 129 foreign drivers will not be counted as Ugandan cases.
Dr Jane Ruth Aceng, the minister of health says the decision to remove the foreign cases of truck drivers was made by President Museveni.
"In addition to only allowing negative long distance truck drivers into the country, all foreign long distance truck drivers who had tested positive and had been added to the confirmed cases of Uganda should be deducted to Uganda's confirmed cases," said Dr Aceng.
According to the health ministry, Uganda's new confirmed COVID-19 positive cases include: 47 returnees from abroad, 10 contacts and community alerts and 88 Ugandan long distance truck drivers.
However this decision contravenes the 2005 International Health Regulations guidelines that call for member states of the World Health Organisation to report all cases tested within their boundaries.
Earlier on, Uganda had taken the same decision but reversed it because it contravened the regulations.
Dr Yonas Woldermariam, the WHO country representative says that Uganda will have to inform respective countries to add the country's discarded number to national their numbers. He says the reporting of cases has to be standardized so that they are captured.
Pamela Mawanda
Freelancer