Government delivers 300 Ebola vaccines to Kasese
Ministry of Health on Friday delivered 300 doses of Ebola vaccine to Kasese, after a nine-year-old girl succumbed to the deadly hemorrhagic fever at Bwera Ebola Treatment Unit yesterday.
Dr Joyce Moriku Kaducu the State Minister for Primary Health Care said the vaccines are to be used to vaccinate any possible contacts of the deceased.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Health confirmed an Ebola Case of a nine-year-old female of Congolese origin who travelled from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) with her mother on Wednesday, 28th August.
The girl died early Friday Morning. Upon the request of the father for the daughter to have a safe and dignified burial, the body has been taken back to DRC, as well as the mother.
“The child and her mother entered the country through Mpondwe main border post to seek medical care in Bwera, Kasese district. The child was identified by the point of entry screening team with high fever, body weakness…,” Dr Kaducu said on Friday.
Five contacts were listed, with three having shared the Ebola Treatment Unit (ETU) with the confirmed case while two were attendants to patients at the Ebola Treatment Unit.
All these were of Congolese origin and were taken back to DRC for vaccination and effective follow up.
This confirmed case occurs about two months after the last outbreak in June which claimed two people, rising the number of deaths to three.
Ebola broke out in eastern DRC last August and has killed more than 1,800, according to the World Health Organisation.
Uganda has had episodes of Ebola outbreaks in the past, which were all relatively controlled. In June, Ebola patients from DRC crossed into Kasese District, where two died.
Ugandan officials subsequently discharged and repatriated the other recovering patients back to Congo. Health ministry officials say they have received 760 Ebola alerts this year, which all turned out negative.
Dr Yonas Tegegn Woldemariam World Health Organization (WHO) country representative said the vaccines are not enough and only those at risk of getting the disease are always targeted.
Government with support from partners has dispatched a rapid response team to Kasese to support the district teams to continue the various response activities.
