By Sr Jecinter Antoinette Okoth, FSSA
The government of Uganda has assured citizens that it is in “full control” of their safety as the country battles a fresh outbreak of the Sudan strain of the Ebola virus that was confirmed on Jan 30.
Dr Diana Atwine, Permanent Secretary of the Uganda Ministry of Health, said in a statement that a 32-year-old male nurse died of Ebola in Kampala on Wednesday, Jan 29, following a laboratory confirmation from three national reference laboratories.
“The Government of Uganda would like to reassure the public that the Ministry of Health is in full control of the situation and continue to safe guard the lives of all people in Uganda,” reads the statement.
According to Dr Atwine, this is the eighth Ebola outbreak in Uganda.
Narrating how the nurse died after seeking medical attention in several health facilities, Dr Atwine said, “The patient presented with a five-day history of high fever, chest pain, and difficulty in breathing, which later progressed to unexplained bleeding from multiple body sites. The patient experienced multi-organ failure and succumbed.”
The Associated Press reported that two more people have been affected by the virus as of Monday, adding that Uganda has begun clinical trials to test the efficacy of a vaccine against the Sudan strain of Ebola.
Government interventions
The Ministry of Health has since activated the Incident Management Team and dispatched Rapid Response Teams to both Mbale City and Saidina Abubakar Islamic Hospital in Matugga to list all the contacts and isolate them. This is to help curb the spread of the disease.
“Facilities have been identified for isolation of all listed contacts. Any contact that develops symptoms will be transferred to a designated isolation center,” said Dr Atwine. “Vaccination of all contacts of the deceased against Ebola Virus Disease is set to commence immediately. The available doses of the Ebola Vaccine is prioritized for contacts and health workers.”
Additionally, Uganda’s Ministry of Health is organizing to carry out dignified burial of the deceased to prevent spread of the virus and the “epidemiological team has been dispatched to activate the Regional Emergency Operation Centers in Kampala and Mbale.”
Appeal
Uganda’s government has warned people to avoid physical contact with individuals exhibiting Ebola symptoms, asking all citizens to maintain strict hand hygiene by washing hands regularly with soap and water or using hand sanitizers.
Ebola is typically spread through direct contact with bodily fluids from infected patients.
Dr Atwine underscored that a suspected Ebola case presents symptoms such as sudden onset fever, fatigue, chest pain, diarrhea, vomiting, unexplained bleeding, yellowing of the eyes, restlessness and headache, among others. – Vatican News
