WHO intensifies support to Uganda’s fight against Ebola disease

Today marks 35 days of response since Uganda declared an outbreak of Sudan virus disease, from the identical family as Ebola virus disease on 30 January 2025. To toughen coordination and helpful resource mobilization efforts, the Ministry of Neatly being (MoH), with support from the World Neatly being Organization (WHO), organized a strategic companions’ meeting.

The strategic meeting equipped a chance to update companions on the outbreak, review the revised possibility evaluate, and align priorities with the monetary resources wanted to get Ebola. The meeting brought together key stakeholders to reassess response suggestions in light of evolving epidemiological trends.

The Ministry of Neatly being’s Strategic Advisory Committee (SAC), the superb decision-making body in the Incident Administration System, leads the coordination of response efforts and helpful resource mobilization. For the rationale that final SAC meeting on 18 February 2025, the outbreak has evolved, necessitating pressing circulate.

In her opening remarks, the Minister of Neatly being, Dr Jane Ruth Aceng Ocero, detailed the response efforts since the first case of Ebola used to be confirmed on 29 January 2025. Surveillance has been bolstered by energetic case detection and order to tracing, whereas case management and infection prevention measures were bolstered in smartly being services and products. The outbreak has now lasted 35 days, with 14 recorded cases – 12 confirmed and two seemingly cases identified retrospectively.

Eight sufferers bask in recovered, two remain hospitalized, and two bask in succumbed to the virus. The spread of the outbreak beyond Kampala and Wakiso to Mbale and, most no longer too long prior to now, Ntoroko has elevated the urgency to reassess strategic priorities. Dr Aceng emphasised that whereas Uganda has efficiently contained outdated Ebola outbreaks, securing the mandatory funding remains necessary to sustaining the response efforts.

“The country, working with you, our companions, has the capability to get this outbreak. The single gap that exists is the monetary resources required to cease the work,” she said.

The WHO Representative, Dr Kasonde Mwinga, speaking on behalf of companions, acknowledged the development made but pressured the urgency of striking forward momentum in the response. The expanded technical meeting equipped a chance to align interventions with on hand monetary resources and description priorities for the next 210 days. With new confirmed cases rising, the collective dedication of all stakeholders remains crucial to stopping extra spread and retaining at-possibility communities.

The Incident Commander, Dr Henry Kyobe Bosa, equipped a technical update, highlighting that Uganda faces a twin outbreak converse – Ebola and mpox. While Ebola is characterised by sporadic, multi-district transmission, mpox remains a multi-cluster outbreak with sustained transmission.

At cloak, 486 contacts are below prepare-up for Ebola, with energetic transmission chains quiet being monitored. Encouragingly, all secondary cases were detected amongst listed contacts, demonstrating the effectiveness of surveillance measures. On the opposite hand, continued vigilance is mandatory to ruin transmission.

A necessary ingredient of the dialogue used to be the up to date 4W accomplice matrix, a digital tool developed by WHO to monitor monetary commitments and helpful resource allocations. The hottest evaluate identified 27 companions actively supporting the Ebola response.

Key points raised at some level of the discussions integrated the want for factual helpful resource mapping, improved donor coordination, and the glory between smartly being facility and neighborhood mortality surveillance. To facilitate centered helpful resource mobilization, stakeholders emphasised the want for extra frequent converse stories.

Transferring forward, companions agreed on key circulate aspects: updating the 4W matrix to assume new commitments, making sure the timely unlock of funds, and strengthening coordination by the National Activity Force.

The Kampala Capital Metropolis Authority (KCCA) will obtain centered support for its response, whereas ongoing funding negotiations with USAID and the US Facilities for Disease Alter and Prevention (CDC) will be finalized to gather extra resources.

With Uganda’s history of successfully managing outdated Ebola outbreaks, the Ministry remains optimistic that, with ample monetary and technical support, this outbreak will be efficiently contained.