KEY POINTS
- Uganda confirms an Ebola outbreak in Kampala with one fatality.
- WHO provides $1 million in emergency funding for containment.
- Neighboring countries are on high alert for possible spread.
Uganda’s health ministry has confirmed an outbreak of the Ebola virus in the capital, Kampala, marking the country’s ninth recorded outbreak since 2000.
The first patient, a male nurse at Mulago National Referral Hospital, died on Jan. 29 after experiencing multi-organ failure, officials said.
Authorities say the patient sought treatment at multiple facilities, including a traditional healer, before being diagnosed. Post-mortem samples confirmed he was infected with the Sudan strain of Ebola.
With Kampala’s population exceeding 4 million, health experts fear that contact tracing will be a significant challenge. At least 44 people, including 30 healthcare workers, have been identified as direct contacts of the deceased.
WHO allocates emergency funds for containment efforts
The World Health Organization (WHO) has stepped in, allocating $1 million from its emergency fund to help Uganda contain the outbreak quickly.
According to Reuters, the organization is also working with vaccine developers to deploy trial doses, though there is currently no approved vaccine for the Sudan strain of Ebola.
Uganda maintains experienced capabilities in lab testing, patient care alongside contact tracing due to its long-standing history in Ebola outbreak response. However, the crowded conditions in Kampala make this outbreak especially concerning.
In Uganda’s last Ebola outbreak in 2022, 143 people were infected and 55 died before the virus was brought under control in early 2023.
Neighboring countries remain on high alert
Worries about inter-border transmission have increased in Uganda due to its geographical position adjacent to various high-risk neighboring countries.
Ebola outbreaks repeatedly emerge in the Democratic Republic of Congo while Rwanda just finished its Marburg virus outbreak. A new Marburg outbreak in Tanzania intensifies health dangers throughout the area.
To limit the spread, vaccination for all known contacts of the deceased will begin immediately, Ugandan health officials confirmed. The country had received some trial vaccine doses during its last outbreak, but there is no widely available vaccine for this strain.
Official statements demand public attention, and responsible hygiene practices must be followed along with the immediate reporting of symptoms. The government has assured citizens that it is fully mobilized to prevent the outbreak from escalating.
