The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
KAMPALA, UGANDA | THE INDEPENDENT | The Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), has provided 14.4 billion Shillings to the Ministry of Health to combat public health emergencies, specifically Mpox and Ebola outbreaks.
The funding, announced on Thursday, is part of IGAD’s Regional Pandemic Preparedness and Response (PREPARE) Project. This initiative aims to enhance surveillance, laboratory capacity, workforce development, and coordination mechanisms in the region, which includes countries from the Horn of Africa, the Nile Valley, and the African Great Lakes.
The funds are drawn from a larger allocation of USD 8.3 million (approximately 31 billion Shillings) meant to support IGAD member states heavily affected by Mpox outbreaks. The goal is to strengthen these countries’ capacity to respond to current and future public health emergencies.
Mubarak Mabuya, IGAD’s Chief of Staff and Interim Director of the Health and Social Development Division emphasized that the PREPARE Project will address Uganda’s specific needs and priorities.
He noted that the escalating Ebola cases in Uganda have made it essential for the project to include measures targeting the Ebola outbreak, given its rapid transmission within Uganda and neighbouring countries.
Dr. Kasonde Mwinga, the World Health Organization (WHO) Representative to Uganda, highlighted the role of project partners, including the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) and the Uganda Red Cross Society. Together, they have developed a comprehensive response plan tailored to Uganda’s pandemic response priorities to ensure timely and effective use of the funds.
Uganda’s Minister of Health, Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng, commended IGAD’s timely intervention. She acknowledged Uganda’s dual challenges of hosting an estimated 1.8 million refugees while addressing public health emergencies such as Mpox and Ebola.
The PREPARE Project is funded by the World Bank’s Pandemic Fund through WHO and aims to mitigate the spread of diseases, reduce associated mortality, and protect IGAD citizens. The initiative is particularly crucial given the interconnectedness of IGAD member states through cross-border movements, trade, and travel.
Since the start of the 2024 Mpox outbreak in Uganda, WHO has reported 494 confirmed cases and one death, with 64% of cases concentrated in the Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Health records show that the number of confirmed Ebola cases has risen to nine, with one death reported.
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