Addis Ababa, October 13, 2022 (FBC) – Ministers of Health and government representatives from 9 African countries agreed on joint measures to stop the potential spread of the ongoing Ebola disease outbreak in Uganda and beyond its borders.
An assessment conducted by World Health Organization (WHO) found that the risk of the Sudan ebolavirus spreading to neighbouring countries as high due to cross border movements between Uganda and other countries.
The population is mobile due to trade, social and cultural connections. In addition, the country hosts many refugees who continue to keep ties with their countries of origin.
Recognizing the importance of collaborative efforts, the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) and WHO hosted a High-Level Emergency Ministerial meeting on Cross Border Collaboration for Preparedness and Response to Ebola Disease Outbreaks in Kampala.
The meeting concluded with a communique in which Ministers of Health and senior government officials from Burundi, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Liberia, Rwanda, Sierra Leone, South Sudan, Tanzania and Uganda endorsed key measures to prevent the cross-border spread of the Sudan Ebolavirus.
These include disease surveillance, contact tracing and monitoring, prompt alert notification, information sharing and joint trainings of emergency responders, as well as carrying out simulation exercises to enhance preparedness and response.
Uganda declared an outbreak of the Sudan ebolavirus on 20 September 2022, marking the first time this species – one of the six under the Ebolavirus genus – was detected in the country since 2012.
The outbreak has affected five districts, and as of 12 October 2022, 54 confirmed cases and 19 deaths have been reported. With the intensifying response, more than a thousand contacts have been identified, while 20 people have recovered from the disease.
The Ministers of Health also agreed on joint plans to carry out cross-border readiness, including raising public awareness and conducting community engagement campaigns.
They also agreed to the rapid cross-border deployment of medical personnel to tackle the disease, as per Africa CDC.