The Independent Uganda: You get the Truth we Pay the Price
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Health Minister Jane Ruth Aceng has cautioned district health officers and Political Leaders against declaring Ebola outbreaks in their jurisdictions.
The warning follows a scare that came with the death of a Congolese national in Ariwara, an area that shares a common border with Arua district, prompting leaders to issue messages insinuating a possible case of Ebola in the area. The case had reportedly travelled overland from Beni is the first to be confirmed in this health zone.
Arua district in Uganda shares a border with Ariwara health zone, with a high volume of trade and population movement. Due to the closeness of the centre to the Ugandan border, the Ministry of Health dispatched the National Rapid Response Team for needs assessment, and the vaccination team from Kasese to start vaccinating the front-line health workers in Arua District.
However, the minister says that the response is aimed at increasing Uganda’s level of preparedness and not a confirmation of an Ebola case in West Nile. She was speaking in Arua during the Ebola Assessment meeting for West Nile on Thursday.
The Health Minister also urged the leaders not to stop markets and schools along the border with DRC saying activities must continue normally unless there is a confirmed outbreak of Ebola.
Arua District Health Officer Dr Paul Bisop Drileba said that health officers are aware of the protocol for declaration of contagious diseases in an area. Dr Drileba blames the flaws on social media which the public is erroneously using to respond to fragile situations.
Arua district chairman Wadri Sam Nyakua said that political leaders have a responsibility to create awareness among the electorate and ensure that they take precautionary measures against the deadly disease. Similarly, the RDC’s who attended the meeting emphasized a need for increased security surveillance in places that are prone to the disease, in order to control the influx of people from Ebola-hit areas in DRC.
Uganda has recorded no new cases of Ebola Virus Disease or deaths since the previous outbreak reported on June 13. As of June 26, at least 108 exposed contacts were identified, and are in the process of completing the 21-day follow-up period. The contacts are visited daily for 21 days until the last contact completes follow-up.
Meanwhile, in DRC, the outbreak continued with steady transmission intensity in North Kivu and Ituri provinces, this week. A report from the area indicates that early signs of transmission eased in intensity in some major hotspots, such as Butembo and Katwa.
The report shows that there is a slight but notable increase in the number of new cases occurring in areas that previously had lower rates of transmission, such as the Komanda, Lubero, and Rwampara/ Bunia health zones.
The current hotspots are the health zones of Beni, Mabalako, and Mandima, with some cases being exported from these hotspot areas into unaffected health zones.
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