The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Health Dr Diana Atwine has said that they expect donors to intervene in halting further transmission of Ebola Virus Disease from Kampala to the region.
Atwine was speaking shortly after declaring an outbreak of Ebola in Kampala following the death of a health worker at Mulago National Referral Hospital on Wednesday.
According to Atwine, the outbreak is a global concern with a high potential of spiralling out of the country.
The outbreak was confirmed shortly after United States President Donald Trump signed orders halting funding to several health programmes as the country re-evaluates its foreign policy, raising concerns that the country that’s facing its eighth outbreak may find challenges funding the response.
While she declined to make a direct comment on Trump’s orders indicating that the US will be withdrawing from the global health body, Dr Kasonde Mwinga, the World Health Organization Uganda Country Representative said they are on standby to intervene should the Ministry of Health need any kind of support.
By Thursday evening a total of forty-five contacts of the confirmed case had been listed and will be isolated at centres in Kampala and Mbale city where the patient had travelled.
Atwine says these contacts will be vaccinated as the country currently has in the stores up to five hundred and fifty doses of the Ebola Sudan vaccine.
The @WHOUganda team is currently supporting @MinofHealthUG to set up an #Ebola isolation unit at Mulago National Referral Hospital to manage cases. pic.twitter.com/AwcRBA0GxO
— WHO Uganda (@WHOUganda) January 30, 2025
Individuals receiving the Ebola vaccine get two doses of the drug. Like other viral diseases, there is no treatment for Ebola but health workers intervene to offer supportive treatment to control symptoms which may include fever, headache, rash, running nose, vomiting and bleeding but in severe instances leads to multi-organ failure.
Experts say those without symptoms don’t spread the disease.
Uganda last recorded an Ebola outbreak in September 2022 in Mubende district before spreading to neighbouring districts. In total during this outbreak, there were 164 cases – 142 confirmed and 22 probable, 55 confirmed deaths and 87 recovered patients.
By the end of January 2023, the disease had been controlled and the country was declared free.
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