The Ministry of Health has assured the country that there is no Marburg in the country despite being on alert due to its outbreak in a neighbouring country.
Recently the World Health Organization notified Uganda about the suspected outbreak of Marburg in the Kagera region in Tanzania and by January 14th 2025, nine people had been affected with Marburg and eight of them had since succumbed to the deadly disease.
Speaking to the press at the Uganda Media Centre, Kampala, the Minister of Health Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng said they are on alert as they wait for the results from the National Public Health Laboratory in Tanzania pending official confirmation of the outbreak.
She says the regional risk has been classified as high given it is a transit hub with significant cross border movement of population to Uganda and other neighboring countries.
Meanwhile, the United States Government is expected to donate over 10,000 doses of vaccines of Mpox to Uganda next week ahead of the launch of the Mpox vaccination campaign planned to kick off in February.
This has been confirmed by the Director United States Centres for disease control Uganda, Dr. Mary Boyd saying that this will help the most affected people in highly risk districts to prevent transmission.
Her confirmation follows Dr. Jane Aceng, the Minister of Health’s address to the press at the Uganda Media Centre confirming that currently Uganda has a cumulative number of 1712 cases in 71 districts across the country.
Among the 71 districts, 52 districts continue to report new cases indicating sustained transmission and in 18 districts no new cases have been reported.
The districts on the list those at high risk include; Greater Kampala Metropolitan Area which includes; Mukono, Wakiso and Kampala majorly within areas of Kawaala and Bwaise.
She pointed out people who are at high risk of the Mpox disease that include; commercial sex workers, male bodaboda riders, commuter taxi drivers, bibanda workers, roadside vendors, and female bar attendants among others in those high risk districts.
It’s against this that the Ministry of Health through Col. Dr. Henry Kyobe directed all Local Government leaders to implement preventive methods in the categories where such activities are carried out.
By Olivia Nabaggala
17 Nov 2024
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