Ebola Hotbed Districts Beefed up with Rapid Response Team

By Evans Najuna

Kampala – On the 20th September 2022, Uganda confirmed an outbreak of Ebola virus in Mubende district. The confirmed case, a 24-year-old male resident of Madudu sub-county, Mubende district managed in three health facilities between 11th and 18th September 2022.

He presented with EVD symptoms and later succumbed at the Mubende RRH.

The National Task Force which convened on 20th September graded the risk as affecting Mubende district as epicenter and surrounding districts. It is thus important to enhance the country’s capacity to prevent, detect and respond to outbreak. The Ministry of Health is, therefore, enhancing its efforts to control the outbreak. With Mubende the epicentre, the following districts have been mapped at risk.

These include Mubende, Kiboga, Mityana, Kibaale, Kyakwanzi, Gomba, Kazo, Kakumiro, Kassanda, Kyegegwa and Kampala. To augment these efforts, the ministry of health is deploying a national rapid response team.

The Director General Health Services, Dr. John Baptist Waniaye in the ministry of health has beefed up a national rapid response team (NRRT) to the hotbed districts to support; orientation and activation of the district task force, development of district response plans, listing of contacts, set up of EVD isolation units

Dr. Waniaye’s communication copied to  Permanent Secretary, Commissioner, Commissioner- IES & PHE, District Health Officers Implementing Partners, Incident Commander and EVD explained and informed the country that the affected districts about the deployment and requested them to provide the NRRT with the necessary support on the effective deployment with immediate from 20th September 2022.