President Yoweri Museveni will tonight address the nation on the Ebola situation as Uganda battles an outbreak that has so far infected 19 people and claimed two lives. The Presidential address is scheduled for 8:00pm on Wednesday and will be broadcast live on all television stations, radio stations and social media platforms. The address comes […]
President Yoweri Museveni will tonight address the nation on the Ebola situation as Uganda battles an outbreak that has so far infected 19 people and claimed two lives.
The Presidential address is scheduled for 8:00pm on Wednesday and will be broadcast live on all television stations, radio stations and social media platforms.
The address comes at a critical time as Uganda intensifies efforts to contain the spread of the deadly Bundibugyo strain of Ebola, which has crossed into the country from the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to the latest Ministry of Health situation report, Uganda had registered a cumulative total of 19 confirmed Ebola cases by June 6. Health officials however reported no new cases in the latest update, raising hopes that containment measures are beginning to have an impact.
Of the 19 confirmed cases, 14 were imported from the DRC while five are Ugandan nationals infected through local transmission.
Health authorities say 13 patients are currently undergoing treatment at Ebola treatment centres across the country while four patients have recovered and been discharged. Two deaths have so far been recorded and both involved imported cases.
The outbreak in Uganda remains directly linked to the much larger Ebola epidemic currently raging in eastern DRC.
The World Health Organization says Uganda has also registered one probable Ebola death, bringing the total number of deaths linked to the outbreak to three.
Across the border, the situation in the DRC continues to deteriorate.
As of June 6, Congolese authorities had reported 515 confirmed Ebola cases and 91 deaths. The outbreak has spread across several health zones and has continued to generate infections that have crossed into Uganda.
The current outbreak was first detected in Mongbwalu Health Zone in Ituri Province after health authorities investigated a mysterious illness that was killing people, including health workers.
Laboratory tests conducted on May 15 confirmed the disease as Bundibugyo virus disease, one of the Ebola species.
Health experts warn that the Bundibugyo strain poses a unique challenge because there is currently no licensed vaccine or approved treatment specifically targeting the virus.
Previous outbreaks involving the strain have recorded fatality rates ranging between 30 percent and 50 percent.
In response to the growing threat, the World Health Organization Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus arrived in Uganda on June 8 after assessing the outbreak response in the DRC.
Dr Tedros praised Uganda’s surveillance and border screening systems, saying they have played a key role in detecting infected travellers entering from Congo.
“The country’s surveillance, testing and case management systems are doing steady work,” he said.
He added that WHO and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention are continuing to support Uganda’s response efforts.
The regional threat has also triggered international concern.
The United Arab Emirates recently imposed travel restrictions on travellers from Uganda, DRC and South Sudan over fears of Ebola transmission.
Meanwhile, Africa CDC and WHO last week launched a joint continental preparedness and response plan requiring approximately 518 million US dollars to help African countries prepare for, detect and respond to the outbreak.
Ugandans are now expected to closely follow President Museveni’s address tonight for guidance on the country’s next steps as authorities race to prevent further spread of the deadly disease.
