Dr. Jane Ruth Aceng the Minister of Health has appealed to the public to cooperate with contact tracers, surveillance teams and health workers when they experience any signs and symptoms of Ebola because this is the only way the epidemic will be controlled.
According to Aceng, when patients and contacts run away it exposes them and their loved ones which potentially results into death that could have been avoided.
“If you or your loved one is a contact to an Ebola infected person please inform the contact tracers and remain in isolation for 21 days while cooperating with our teams during the follow up period” she added.
Aceng made these remarks while updating the country on the Ebola virus disease outbreak and containment measures at media center in Kampala on Wednesday.
Since the Health Ministry declared an outbreak of Ebola Sudan Virus on September 20th in Mubende district, the outbreak has then spread to four other districts of Kasanda, Kagadi, Bunyangabu and Kyegwegwa and also in Kampala metropolitan. This according to the Ministry was due to movement of contacts and symptomatic individuals for health services.
In the 35 days of its existence, Uganda has to date registered a total number of 109confirmed cases of whom 30 have already succumbed to this deadly disease, 45 cases are under treatment while 34 have been treated and have since improved.
Aceng also highlighted that amongst the confirmed cases include health workers and so far six of them have lost lives due to this battle.
The Health Minister also noted that government and its partners have currently set up three Ebola treatment facilities in Mubende district which is one of the epicenters but also in Kampala Metropolitan these have been setup in Mulago and Entebbe.
The three Ebola treatment facilities in Mubende include a 42 bed capacity at the regional referral hospital, another 42 bed capacity at the district’s works ground and the 8 bed capacity facility at the original outbreak epicenter.
Aceng however noted that currently there is no known treatment for Ebola Sudan virus but there is a number of promising treatment options that the Ministry is using under trial which among them include monoclonal antibodies and repurposed drugs like Remendeservir.
As per the experts, the symptoms of Ebola in its early phases are similar and consistent with most common febrile illness like malaria and if one seeks care in the early stages, chances are high that he can be cured.
In the districts of Mubende and Kasanda which continue to be the epicenter of the disease, government has continued to carry out several interventions that include intense risk communication to sensitize communities about Ebola, conduct all burials in the community, contact tracing of all listed contacts, treatment of all confirmed cases amongst others.
The Ministry has also deployed its mobile Ebola laboratory that was procured by the East African Community Secretariat in Mubende national referral hospital that is currently handling all the samples in Mubende and Kasanda districts.
