Uganda has dispatched a team of health workers to the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to aid in controlling the Ebola outbreak in the neighboring nation. Diana Atwine, the permanent secretary at Uganda’s Ministry of Health, announced this initiative during a meeting with World Health Organisation (WHO) Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in Kampala. Additionally, Uganda is establishing 50-bed treatment units this week to bolster Ebola response efforts in eastern DRC, the current outbreak’s epicenter.
Atwine disclosed that two mobile laboratories have been set up in the border towns of Bwera and Arua to provide Ebola testing and diagnostic services in the DRC. Tedros praised Uganda’s dedication to combating Ebola and expressed confidence in the country’s capacity to handle the disease. The WHO chief, currently in Uganda to support the country’s Ebola response, encouraged Uganda to continue aiding the DRC’s containment efforts.
As per the Ministry of Health’s latest data, Uganda has reported a total of 19 confirmed Ebola cases, with 14 individuals having entered from the DRC and five being Ugandan nationals. Among these cases, two individuals from the DRC have succumbed to the disease. Meanwhile, the DRC has recorded 515 confirmed Ebola cases, including 91 fatalities, with health authorities warning of ongoing transmission and the potential for further escalation without prompt implementation of control measures.
The most recent update from the health ministry, released on Sunday, indicated that three additional patients had recovered, bringing the total number of recoveries to 12 as of June 6. The report highlighted 117 suspected cases and noted that 283 patients were still in isolation or under hospital care.
