Ebola: Health ministry addresses lock down fears as 15 cases are confirmed in Kampala Metropolitan

Kampala-15 cases of Ebola have been confirmed in Kampala Metropolitan, the ministry of health revealed on Monday morning.

According to Dr. Henry Mwebesa, Director General Health Services at the ministry, of the 15 cases, 12 are from Kampala while two are from Wakiso (Lubaga division 11, Makindye division 1, Nansana 1 and Seguku 2)

While opening a media orientation on Ebola outbreak in Kampala on Monday morning, Dr. Mwebesa noted that the cases were contacts from Kassanda and Mubende districts that came in before the two districts were put under lockdown.

They include among others seven family members of a fatal case from Masanafu in Lubaga division who passed on in Mulago Hospital and one health worker who managed him in a private clinic together with his wife from Seguku.

When asked whether the ministry was contemplating about a lockdown in Kampala to prevent further spread of the disease, Dr. Mwebesa said, “I don’t think you would lock down Kampala because of one or two families. The strategy in Kampala is if you are a contact we take you to quarantine that one isn’t negotiable. 

Commenting on the ministry’s preparedness to handle more Ebola cases in Kampala, Dr. Mwebesa said the situation is still under control as cases are being managed at Entebbe Isolation facility and the contacts isolated at Mulago hospital.  

“We are ready with the facilities and human resource and the required PPEs. The challenge we may have where we are going to think afresh is where to keep the contacts because if the contacts become many, we have to find other ways cause now we are keeping them in Mulago hospital.  But for now we are still under control cause we can take everybody now to Entebbe I don’t think we shall soon have 65 people filling the whole of Entebbe Isolation unit and 120 capacity at Mulago can be for contacts.

Dr. Mwebesa also revealed that they have started a program to sensitize private clinics about handling suspected ebola cases.

Journalists attending media orientation on Ebola outbreak organized by the ministry of health in Partnership with WHO, ACME and UNICEF in Kampala on Monday

To date, there are 90 cumulative confirmed cases and 28 cumulative confirmed deaths.  The Sudan ebolavirus was declared in Uganda on September 20th 2022.

On 15 October 2022, President Yoweri Museveni imposed a 21-day lockdown on Mubende and Kassanda districts to contain the disease. The measures include an overnight curfew, closing places of worship and entertainment, as well as restricting movement in and out of the two districts.

Other districts that have reported ebola cases include Bunyangabu, Kyegegwa, and Kagadi.

Previously, Ebola in Uganda was reported in 2019 due to Zaire ebolavirus, which was imported from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Ebola outbreaks caused by Sudan ebolavirus have previously occurred in Uganda.

The last outbreak of Ebola due to Sudan ebolavirus in Uganda was reported in 2012.

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