The Ministry of Health (MoH) in Uganda has today called an urgent meeting for all heath officials in the greater Mubende area to discuss the health crisis exacerbated by the outbreak of Ebola.
The meeting’s main objective is finding a long lasting solution to ebola virus disease, whose outbreak was confirmed on September 20th in central Mubende, and curtail its further spread to other districts of Uganda.
The meeting will be held at Mubende District Council Offices and will be presided over by the Health Minister Hon. Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng. Officials at the meeting are expected to come up with a list of necessary equipment to stock health facilities in the area, for use in the battle against the lethal disease, and endorse a three months response plan for ebola in these high risk districts.
Health authorities and stakeholders from greater Mubende region in the districts of Mubende, Kasanda, Kiboga, Kyankwanzi, Mityana and other sorrounding districts will participate in the meeting.
Efforts by the Health Ministry to curtail the further spread of ebola virus disease to other parts of Uganda is a strategic response mechanism to defuse the fear and tension aroused amongst citizens. As a result of its outbreak, statistics from the ministry confirm that in a period of just five days, the endemic has claimed 11 citizens, while another 11 are in a worryingly critical condition.
Worse still, the same statistics also confirm that about 58 people have been isolated in different places, after suspecting them to have had close contacts with the critically ill or those who passed on due to the same cause.
Amidst this destitution and uncontrollable speculation, the disease threatens to spread at a terrific rate and ravage most parts of the country. A case in point is a yet to be identified resident of Kansanga in Kampala city who last evening died under mysterious circumstances, but many people attribute this death to the endemic.
Dr. Daniel Okello, the Kampala City Council Authority (KCCA) Health Director said samples had been taken from the diceased as they await the results to confirm whether or not the person died of ebola.
“We have not yet confirmed any ebola cases in Kampala, but rather we were able to identify suspects, we took samples from them, let’s wait for the results, then from there we will determine whether or not the endemic has infiltrated Kampala, but at the moment we have not yet confirmed any cases, there is one in Kansanga whose samples we took, but he unfortunately passed on. We took samples from him and the body is in our custody,” Dr Okello said.
He further warned people in the city to stay away from overcrowded areas, noting that the endemic easily spreads in instances where people are congested and over crowded in one area, but also advised that people should practice hand hygiene, by frequently washing their hands as the case was in the fight against Covid-19.
The Spokesperson for the Health Ministry, Emmanuel Ainebyoona, said the ministry is taking the matter with utmost seriousness, and has dispatched a team of highly professional and experienced health experts to Mubende district to salvage the situation, and stop cases from rising further.
He added that the ministry is deeply concerned and genuinely worried that the endemic might have even spread further among people, at estimates not yet established because of the 11 people who died, 8 passed on in their homes, an indicator that their relatives, friends and others might have contracted the disease from these victims and will spread it further, some thing which according to him creates a dengrerous situation.
“Those receiving treatment, the figure stands at 25, and tests from samples, 19 of those have been concluded, but 6 have been confirmed to have contracted the disease. Our health experts are so professional, and have years tested experience in handling ebola,” said Ainebyoona.
Mubende district is known to be the genesis of the Sudan strain grade ebola in Uganda, which was first detected in Ngabano village, Madudu Sub County on September 20th, when a 24- year- old male presented the virus symptoms and died shortly.
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